Hands of Steel
by LadyDixon
Summary: This is a Meth story taking place in Season 3 after the brother's reunite and take off but then return to the prison just in time to help save the group. There will be smut, language, and maybe some dark bits here and there just because I can. I own nothing from The Walking Dead. Thanks for reading! Merle/Beth
1. Chapter 1

**So...new fic here. Decided to try my hand at a Meth story. I absolutely _love_ Merle Dixon and I wish like hell everyday that they hadn't killed him off. At least not that soon. We were just beginning to see all of his potential. I've met Michael Rooker and he's so awesome. Seriously, he's great. Anyway, I guess he's dead and there's nothing we can do about it on the show BUT I can still keep him alive in the world of fanfiction! (Take that AMC) I haven't fully decided if I'm going to take this exactly as the show does, but I DO know that Merle will NOT die. It's just not happening. There will also be smut eventually. This _is_ Merle Dixon we're talking about after all. **

**I'm going to judge by reviews if I should continue with this or not. I know there are a lot of Meth ships out there already so I know I'm not unique or anything but I hope that some of you will review and enjoy! This is going to take place in Season 3 where Daryl had set out with Merle after Rick told him that he couldn't allow Merle back to the prison and then Daryl and Merle showed up and saved Rick's ass. Yeah, that's where this is taking off after. I guess that will show Rick that he needs the Dixon brothers. Both of them. A big Dixon sandwich...Oh yeah. Okay, getting carried away here. Anyway, review, review, review! Thank you!**

* * *

There were a lot of things in this world that Merle Dixon didn't like.

The first thing was being told what to do. Ever since he had followed his brother back to that Godforsaken prison that they called home, Officer Friendly had been issuing little "_meetings_" within the group. Meetings that _he_ hadn't been privy to, but his brother had. That was all fine and dandy in his book; he didn't give a shit whether he was invited or not. He did, however, give a shit when he knew they were discussing what to do about the Governor. None of those bastards sitting at that damn picnic table just outside the prison knew a thing about the Governor.

Officer Friendly could stand around all day and act like that just because he had had a few meetings with the man that he understood how he operated, but he didn't. Merle did. He knew a hell of a lot about the man. For starters, he knew the man wasn't all that he was cracked up to be. He also knew a lot of shit about how things operated beneath the surface at Woodbury but did they ask him for his input? No. Normally he wouldn't give a shit about it, but their decisions involved his brother and like it or not, Merle _did_ give a shit about that.

He finally grew tired of standing around feeling utterly fucking useless, and decided to head inside. It was almost time for that mouse woman to start throwing together some food and he was fucking starving. As soon as he entered the area that they had marked as the "kitchen" he could hear the baby crying her little lungs out. He spotted the blonde girl trying to rock her gently back and forth. She had a bottle up to the baby's lips but the baby wasn't having it and refused to latch onto it. He sighed. At this rate, they would have every fucking walker for miles piled up around the damn fences.

He stalked over to the girl and gestured to the kid, "Lemme' see 'er." She looked up at him and shrank back a little, clearly not wanting to give up the screaming baby. "Ain't got all damn day," He growled. He didn't have time for this shit. "Put 'er on 'er belly in tha crook o' my arm," He said.

She hesitated and then positioned Judith in the crook of his arm, up high enough where the metal of his arm piece wouldn't scratch her. The girl was looking at him like she was utterly terrified and he ignored her to smile down at the baby who was finally growing quiet in his arms.

"How did you know to do that?" She asked.

He smirked, "Ain't rocket science darlin'. Jus' cause I'm an asshole don't mean I don't know nothin' 'bout babies. Who tha hell ya think took care o' Daryl when he was a youngin'?"

She stared up at him with her green eyes curiously. He had never paid her much mind before. She always seemed to fade into the background and he didn't know much about her. Hell, he didn't even remember her name. Not that it mattered.

He swayed his arm back and forth, rubbing his hand over the baby's back gently. He could feel her soft breathing and knew that she had fallen asleep and he passed her back over to the girl who took her, looking down at her sleeping face in shock.

"Jus' cause she cries, don't mean she's hungry. You'd do well ta remember that," He said. She nodded, her eyes flicking up to his. He stared at her for a minute before speaking, "What's yer name anyway sugah'?"

"Beth," She replied.

He nodded and then gestured to the sleeping infant in her arms, "Best be gettin' 'er ta bed."

He walked past her and strolled up to the cell at the top of the stairs that they had given him. He knew they had given him this cell because no one wanted him anywhere near them and that was just fine with him. He preferred being alone anyways. He was only biding his time until he could convince his brother to leave, that was all.

He and his brother were better off on their own, doing their own thing. They had survived out on their own plenty of times before and this time would be no different. Except for some reason, his brother wanted to stay with these people. He couldn't understand it. Somewhere along the way, his brother and the officer had gotten close. He didn't like it at all. Daryl was being used and he didn't even know it.

* * *

He was lying on his bunk, wiping down his arm piece when his brother strolled inside his cell. He leaned against the wall, his expression tense and Merle cast a glance at him out of the corner of his eye but he kept quiet, waiting him out. It was something he had learned long ago. Daryl wasn't the type to be rushed when he had something on his mind. It was best to just wait him out and let him work whatever it was out. It didn't take him long either.

"Was wonderin' where you'd disappeared off to," Daryl said.

Merle shrugged, "What damn difference it make brotha? Don't none o' them pricks out there want my advice anyhow," He muttered.

Daryl scoffed, "Ya ain't bein' fair. They tryin'. I convinced Rick ta let ya ass back in, didn't I?"

Merle threw his rag down on the bed and sat up so that he was staring at his brother. "Ain't nobody asked ya ta do me no fuckin' favors lil' brotha'. I'm here fer _you_. Ya don't want me 'round, jus' say so. Ain't got no problems with leavin'," He said.

Daryl huffed and began pacing the small cell like a bear trapped in a cage. Merle just regarded him intently. Finally Daryl stopped, "I don't want ya to leave. Ya know that! Fuck Merle! Jus' got ya back an' now ya wanna fuckin' run again!" Daryl growled.

Merle stood up slowly, his muscles tensing. His brother was begging for a fight and Merle wasn't a very patient man. If Daryl needed an outlet, all he had to do was say so and Merle would be happy to oblige him. They stood there, staring at each other intensely, until a small voice cleared her throat from the doorway. Both sets of identical blue eyes swiveled to see who was daring to interrupt them.

Beth stood there shyly, looking as if she would bolt at any second, "D..Daryl, Rick is asking for you," She stammered.

Merle felt his lip curl, "Go ahead lil' brotha. Go play bitch ta ya officer friend," He couldn't resist saying.

Daryl growled low in his throat in warning, his eyes flickering from Beth to Merle and back again. Merle knew that as long as Beth stood there he wouldn't do anything. His brother didn't have the guts. He liked to keep his shit private and fighting with him would mean that someone would see his emotions. Instead Daryl cut his eyes at Merle once more and stalked out, pushing past Beth who almost didn't move out of the way in time.

Merle stared after him for a second as he disappeared down the stairs and then he shook his head, settling back onto his bunk. After a minute his eyes flickered up to the girl who was still standing frozen in his doorway.

"Can I help ya with somethin' there darlin'?" He asked.

She shook her head, but she didn't make a move to leave. She cleared her throat, "Why do you provoke him like that?" She finally asked.

He snorted, "S'good for him," He replied.

She frowned, "Daryl's done a lot for us. We really need him now more than ever. Are you going to make him leave?"

He stood up again, his jaw tense as he walked slowly over to her. She shrunk back a step and then realized she was prevented from leaving by the bars at her back. He could see the brief glimpse of fear in her eyes. She was just a little thing and he found himself drawn to her fear.

"Ain't makin' him do nothin' he don't want ta do. Reckon' he's got his head stuck so far up Officer Friendly's ass that he ain't goin' nowhere. He came back, didn't he?" He asked. She nodded. "Ya afraid o' me?"

He could tell her breathing had deepened by the rise and fall of her shirt and he raised his blade up so that it clanged against the bars above her head, pinning her in further. He was curious to see how far he could go before she damn near passed out on him. It was the most amusing thing he had seen around this prison all damn day. There was something about all of her innocence that attracted him to her. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He figured had she been older, they definitely could have had some fun in this shithole to make the time pass by faster. He was sure there were lots of things he could show her, things that would blow her mind completely. Except he wouldn't. She was way too damn young for him and he didn't need a prison riot on his hands on top of everything else he had going against him at the moment.

"I'm not afraid," She replied.

She was lying just as sure as shit as there were walkers roaming the earth. He could see her slight trembles. If she wanted to pretend though, then that was fine with him. Whatever made her feel better.

He leaned down until they were nose to nose, "Ya should be. There's a reason they put me up 'ere away from everybody else," He stood up straight, trying to ignore the way her little breasts pressed against her shirt as she breathed in deeply. "Now go," He inched back one step, just enough for her to slip out and she did but not after meeting his gaze again.

He chuckled as he watched her head disappear down the stairs. He would have to keep his eye on that one. She was an interesting little thing and if nothing else, at least he could have some fun trying to shock her to pass the time. It had to be better than sitting on his ass in a damn cell all day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! First of all I would like to say thanks to all those who have favorited, followed, and reviewed. Especially Steffy 2106! You rock for helping me out and encouraging me to continue. Thank you! I haven't gotten the response I had hoped for but I'm going to continue forwards anyway just because I love this pairing and hope that more of you will show up as we go along. I'd love to hear from you! Let me know what you think! Enjoy the chapter! It's short, but I'm running out of time over here. Long day tomorrow, but I'll try to get another update out soon! Shit Yes! ;)**

* * *

"Merle, hold up a second. I need to talk to you for a minute," Rick called to him, jogging to catch up as Merle strolled around the courtyard, keeping an eye on the tree line.

The others had been spending all day trying to finish getting the walkers taken down and the fences secure again. They had absolutely no idea when the Governor would strike again but Merle knew it was only a matter of time.

He paused, sucking at his teeth as he waited for him to catch up, "Problem officer?" Merle drawled.

Rick came to a stop next to him, "I really think we need to clear the air. I know you think that none of us want you here. It's not that it's -"

Merle snorted, interrupting him, "It's what? The fact that I beat on Chinaman? What you people fail ta fuckin' understand is that I had a job ta do. Weren't nothin' personal see? Ya think I was 'bout ta put my ass on tha line for someone who wouldn't even tell me where my own fuckin' brotha was?"

Rick held up a hand and Merle narrowed his eyes, "Listen, I didn't come here to fight. I can understand that you might have been in a predicament yourself. It's just going to take the group some time. Maybe if you helped us out a little with the fences or tried to be a little more cooperative it might help," Rick said.

He couldn't believe the audacity of the man to suggest that he join in and help do grunt work or play good soldier. Merle thought the whole idea was ludicrous. He laughed, "We'll jus' be like one big fuckin' family! Shit yes! I tell ya what _Rick_, after I'm done with tha fences that ain't gonna do jacks_hit_ ta keep that man out, then how's about we gather 'round a campfire an' sing us some songs?" He was beyond pissed. _Couldn't the man see that he ain't wanted nothin' to do with the group?_

Rick wiped at his brow and placed his hands on his hips. Merle could see his frustration and he wondered if the man would show some of that crazy that he had heard about. He thought that would make for a good show indeed.

"We need to train everyone on how to use weapons so we can at least have a fighting chance. You're good with a weapon, I'll admit. We could really use your help," Rick finally said.

Merle stared at him, "So ya finally decided ya need ole' Merle huh? What's in it fer me?" He asked.

Rick laughed harshly, "Look, I'm really trying here, OK? You help us train some of the weaker of the group and I'll make sure the others back off from you. How's that sound?"

Merle propped a boot up on the bench seat of the picnic table and spit over his shoulder as he thought about it. He didn't really need help keeping the other away from him. Hell they did that on their own. Besides, Merle like it better that way, not having to deal with any of their fucking drama. His eyes roamed the courtyard until he spotted the blonde haired girl holding a basket of clothes that she was stringing onto a line to dry. He looked back up at Rick who was still staring at him, waiting on an answer.

"Fine. But I get ta pick who I train," Merle responded.

Rick sighed and then nodded, "Alright. Whose your pick?" Merle nodded towards the girl who was oblivious to the fact that the two men were talking about her and that he was staring at her intently. Rick snorted, "You can't be serious. Hershel would _kill_ you," He muttered.

"Now now sheriff, thought tha deal was that ya was goin' ta get everyone ta back off? That's tha terms. She's a weak link. Ya need somebody that's gon' train 'er right. I want 'er relieved of duties for one week. At tha end of that week, you'll see I was right," Merle replied.

He watched as Rick stared at the girl who was halfway down the line with her basket of clothes. He could see the sheriff battling within himself. He knew that he would meet his terms though. They _needed_ him. He was a strong fighter and they didn't exactly have a shitload of those. He could make the girl strong. He knew that he could. He had trained dozens of little pricks at Woodbury with less sense.

"You've got a deal," Rick said as Merle stood and saw Daryl approaching them, an expression of curiosity on his face. "Just let me talk to Hershel first before we do anything. Give me until tomorrow morning. I'll relieve Beth of her duties then."

Merle nodded as Daryl stopped just in front of them, "What's goin' on?" Daryl asked, his gaze flicking back and forth between the two of them.

"Jus' conductin' business lil' brotha. Nothin' ta worry yer pretty lil' head 'bout," Merle replied.

He stared at Rick, the sheriff meeting his gaze dead on, neither of them turning away.

* * *

Beth blew a strand of hair out of her face as she hung up another random shirt to the line. Some of them she could tell who they belonged to, but there were still some she had to ask Carol about. Carol pretty much knew everyone's laundry as she was the one who usually ended up putting it away. Beth could identify Daryl's shirts, the only ones with all of the sleeves missing, but others were harder to identify. She smiled to herself as she thought about Daryl and her thoughts drifted to his brother Merle.

Merle was kind of scary, but intriguing all at the same time. He was one of those men that entered a room and you could _feel_ him before you ever heard him. He had a very commanding presence. She hadn't known a lot of men like that in her lifetime.

She didn't hate him like so many of the others seemed to though. She hadn't been taught to hate. She knew what had happened to Glenn because of him and she had seen Maggie when her sister had made it back. Maggie wasn't Merle's fault though but Maggie seemed to blame it on him a little anyway. Or maybe Maggie just hated Merle because Glenn did. Beth didn't know the entire tail of what had happened at Woodbury, she had just pieced together the bits that she had heard amongst the group. Maggie refused to talk about it and Beth didn't press. No one ever thought to tell her much, being that they all thought she was just some dumb girl who faded into the background like camouflage in a forest.

She sighed and moved to pick up the last article of clothing. As she held it up to pin, she gasped at the two very hard, very _blue,_ eyes staring back at her. She placed her hand over her chest, laughing nervously.

"You scared me," She said.

He chuckled, "Thinkin' deep thoughts?"

She bit her lip. She had been thinking about him but she wasn't going to tell _him_ that. She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "Just passing the time," She responded.

"Hmph," He muttered.

He stood there as she pinned the shirt to the line and picked up the basket. She stood there awkwardly, wondering if there was something else he intended to say or if the conversation was over. She could feel his eyes on her and it made her almost feel naked the way he stared so intently. She could feel herself turning red. She snuck a glance at him and he winked wickedly.

"Penny for yer thoughts?" He drawled as he hung one arm over the cable that Daryl had strung for them to use to dry clothes on.

"You're very...bold," She finally said.

He raised a brow, "Bold, huh? Ain't nobody ever called me that before. I reckon' I don't see much need ta censor myself. I say what I want when I want. Anybody got a problem with that, well then that's them. Ain't me," He replied.

"I see," She said.

He studied her for a few moments, apparently chewing on a thought in his head. "What's yer thoughts on tha Gov'nor?" He suddenly asked.

She stood there open-mouthed for a moment. No one had ever asked her opinions on anything before. It took her a minute to gather her thoughts and she had to look at him twice to make sure he wasn't teasing her but he wore a serious expression.

"I...I think we're unprepared. I haven't met the man personally but judging from this last time, I think we're screwed," She said bluntly. "There's quite a few of us, me included, that don't know much. We could be helping but instead they send us inside to hide," She let out a deep breath, not realizing how long she had kept that bottled up.

He didn't laugh though. He appeared to be pondering her answer before he responded, "I agree. Seen lotsa thangs while I was in Woodbury. Thangs that would make ya head spin girlie' an' I can tell ya fer certain we got our work cut out fer us. How come ya ain't been trained yet?"

"I don't know. I guess because I'm always the one taking care of Judith. Maybe that's all I'm good at anyway," She shrugged, looking down at the concrete.

He placed his finger under her chin, lifting her head back up so that she met his gaze, "Ya got two arms an' two legs aint'cha?" She nodded. "Then that ain't all ya good at. Hell look at me darlin'. Got me an ugly fuckin' piece a scrap metal fer a hand. Ya can bet yer ass that that shit ain't easy ta get used to. Still don't think I'm fuckin' used ta it," He leaned down until they were eye level. "Keep yer head up. Maybe thangs will start changin' real soon," He brushed his fingers under her chin for a brief moment and then he walked away, leaving her standing there holding an empty basket.

_What had just happened here?_ The one man that everyone seemed to dislike had just basically told her she wasn't worthless. _Did he know something she didn't?_ She stood there for several more minutes, pondering. There was definitely more to this man than people realized. There was a hardness there, that much she could tell. But underneath that hardness, there just might be more to Merle Dixon than meets the eye.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't know about y'all but the weather here is just beautiful! I'm loving the fact that Fall is right around the corner! I was going to do a chapter for Night and Day first, but I was feeling this one more at the moment. I am glad to see more of you have found my story and I appreciate all of your comments more than you know. I do hope you like this next chapter. I worked harder to make it longer for y'all! **

**Oh and don't forget to review! It's my birthday and that would make a wonderful present ;)**

* * *

It didn't take Beth long to figure out what Merle had been talking about. In fact, she heard about it first thing the next morning. She had been on her way back from using the bathroom when she heard the voices. At first she dismissed them, still somewhat sleepy but trying to make it to the kitchen to help Carol with breakfast. Then she heard her name and she paused.

The voices were coming from one of the empty rooms near the showers and she stood just outside of the door, looking around to make sure that no one was nearby. The door was cracked open just a bit and she could just make out her Daddy and Rick talking. Her Daddy looked angry and Beth frowned. She couldn't imagine why. He had seemed fine last night. She pressed her ear closer.

"Absolutely not!" Hershel said firmly.

Rick sighed, "Listen, I know it's not ideal but he's good at what he does. We need his cooperation. As much as I hate it, Merle Dixon is our secret weapon. He knows more about the Governor than any of us and that gives us a slight advantage," Rick paced the small room in front of Hershel who was leaning against a table with his crutch resting next to him.

"I can understand that Rick, but that man spouts out too much filth. Daryl is just as good as Merle, isn't he? What about Michonne? I would be fine with either of them," Hershel responded.

"He wants to train Beth. He specifically asked for her," Rick said.

Beth gasped silently in the hallway. _Merle had asked for her? Why had he done that?_

"I don't trust him. What business does he have asking for my daughter? She's only eighteen and he's what? Pushing thirty-five? How does that look to you Rick?"

Rick ran a hand through his hair, his hip cocked out in a signature Rick pose, "I know how it looks Hershel. Believe me, I know. But Beth needs work. Let's face it. She's not as strong as some of the other women here and if anybody can make her stronger, I think its Merle. Either way, I made a deal with the man so it's done," Rick commented.

She could see her Daddy narrow his eyes at Rick. She knew he thought a lot of Rick, but her Daddy could only be pushed so far. She wondered what was going to come of it.

"What kind of deal Rick?" Hershel crossed his arms.

"I told him I would make everyone back off him for a bit if he would help us out," Rick replied.

Hershel nodded, "So he needed something in return for helping us out? That's exactly what I mean. The man is cold! I will not allow someone like that around my daughter!" Hershel shouted.

Beth felt a tickle on her neck and then a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly away from the door. She turned in surprise, prepared to shout, when she looked up into the face of Merle Dixon himself. He placed a finger to his lips and began pulling her behind him down the hallway until they were far enough away from the door so that their voices wouldn't carry.

"Takin' up a new hobby?" He asked.

She blushed, thankful for the shadows that would hopefully conceal it, "I didn't mean to be eavesdropping…I just heard my name and paused for a moment," She explained.

He snorted, "I reckon ya heard tha news then. I expect ya out behind tha prison after breakfast. I'll be waitin' so don't be late. Now get on back to tha others," He gestured with a nod of his head.

She wanted to stay and talk to him although she wasn't sure why. Standing in the hallway with him so close had made her very aware of him in the way she had when he had pinned her against the bars of his cell. It made her feel…wicked. He pulled away from her though and she figured he was dismissing her. She headed back towards the kitchen, feeling his eyes on her until she rounded the corner.

Carol had already fixed up some oatmeal for breakfast when Beth entered the room so she grabbed some bowls and began setting them out for everyone as they shuffled in. There were some grumbles about oatmeal again but most everyone was quiet as they entered the room.

Beth had just sat down with her bowl when her Daddy, Rick and Merle walked in the room. She could tell there was tension between the men and she wondered what had been said in her absence. Merle looked at her and winked as he walked past with his oatmeal. He took his customary seat on the steps away from everyone else and balanced the bowl in his lap so that he could eat.

Maggie set her bowl down next to Beth and mumbled a good morning and Beth smiled at her sister. Her Daddy took the spot across the table from her, shooting several glances in her direction but he remained silent. The only sounds that could be heard in the room were the sounds of the metal spoons scraping against the bowls as everyone shoveled down the oatmeal to try and quell their hunger pangs.

It was Rick who finally spoke, trying to clear the silence, "We're going to be starting some training today," He commented. Beth watched her Daddy carefully but he didn't look up as Rick spoke. She noticed that Daryl shot a look in Rick's direction. "For the most part, I need everyone who is able on fences today. There will be a couple of you excused from normal activities this week as you train though," Rick cleared his throat.

"Whose doin' all this trainin' ya talkin' 'bout?" Daryl spoke up.

"Well, I've got Merle and Beth set for this week and also Carl and Michonne," Rick replied.

Beth looked to Michonne but as usual the woman's face was blank, but it appeared as though she had already been informed of this new situation. It was hard to tell because the woman never expressed much emotion. Beth thought she had the poker face down to a science.

"_Merle?_" Daryl spat.

Rick nodded, "Yes. Merle is a good fighter. He trained a lot of people at Woodbury," Rick glanced over at Merle who was ignoring everyone.

Beth could feel Maggie tense next to her and her sister turned to her, "You're letting that man train you?" She whispered.

Beth's eyes widened and then she shrugged, not wanting to cause an argument, "I guess its Rick's call," She responded.

Maggie sighed and Beth saw Glenn reach his hand around to rub her back. He knelt behind Maggie, his eyes on hers. "You watch out for him Beth. If he does anything-"

Beth interrupted him, "I'll find you if I need you. Thanks Glenn," She said softly.

She felt a brush of wind next to her and looked up just in time to see Merle pass by her to take his bowl over to the tub they had set out for dirty dishes. He didn't say anything to her but she remembered his words from before about how she shouldn't be late. No one said a thing to him as he exited the room and she felt sort of bad for him, being the outcast and all. She hurriedly finished her oatmeal, suddenly eager to get started on her new training.

* * *

Merle leaned next to the bricks behind the prison, sharpening his blade. He had to hand it to the farmer; he had given Merle hell about taking out his youngest. The man had stuck his finger in Merle's face and everything, threatening to put a bullet into his ass if he dared to lay a hand on the girl. The man had guts, he would give him that. Merle held his tongue and let the man say what he felt necessary though. He wasn't looking to pick a fight with a one legged man.

He had heard everything the others had said over breakfast. Especially the way they had talked about him almost as if he wasn't even in the same room. The officer had kept up his end of the bargain though, coming to Merle's defense about the training. He knew it had to have been a stretch for the man but he respected him for holding good to his promise.

He heard her small footsteps before he saw her. He kept sharpening his knife as she came around the side of the building and stopped in front of him. He saw that she was dressed in her customary jeans, shirt, and boots that they all favored. She waited as he continued sharpening, waiting to see how long it would take her to say something.

Several long minutes passed before she spoke, "Should I be doing something?" She asked.

He finished his last swipe of the blade and looked at her, "Five laps 'round tha prison yard. Report back ta me when yer done," He muttered.

She widened her eyes, clearly not expecting that and it was all he could do not to chuckle at her expression.

"Five laps? I thought we were training me to fight?" She asked.

He nodded, "That we are darlin'. Gotta getcha' in shape first though. Ain't doin' a bit o' us any good if ya can't run from tha walkers without strugglin' fer breath," He said.

She frowned, "But I'm not out of shape. I can run just fine," She insisted.

He smirked, "Alright then. Prove it. Run tha laps an' then we'll talk." He waited, testing her. He wanted to see how badly she wanted this, how much she really craved to learn. If she was serious about the training, then she would suck it up and do as he asked but if not, then there wasn't much he could do with her until she was. She stood there for a few minutes just staring at him. He lifted his eyes and met her gaze, giving her an intense stare. Finally she sighed and took off in a jog, shaking her head as she went. He smiled to himself as he watched her jog the fence. She was going to do just fine when he was done with her.

* * *

"Five laps. Seriously?" Beth muttered under her breath as she began to jog the fence. She could feel his eyes on her as she ran back around to the front and she had no doubt that he would know if she stopped jogging or not.

She could see other members of the group trickling out into the main yard, dragging into a pile the rest of the bodies of walkers that had yet to be burned. All that was left of cleaning up was getting rid of the bodies of the dead. After that, they would work on reinforcing everything in preparation of another inevitable attack. She felt safe as she ran and several members of the group turned to look at her as she passed. She could see Michonne and Carl out in the midst of the field. Michonne was speaking softly to him and when she looked up and saw Beth, she paused and then continued on with whatever she was telling the boy.

The first lap passed by with no problem and as she circled back around to her starting point, she could see that Merle hadn't moved. In fact the man was resting against the wall, almost as if he was napping. She gritted her teeth, feeling the burn in her legs but determined to push herself further. She was definitely feeling it as she began to slow halfway through the second lap. She tried to breathe in through her nose and out through her mouth like she remembered from gym class but it wasn't helping. As she passed by Merle the second time, she thought she saw the briefest of smiles cross his face but it disappeared as quickly as it came. She bit her tongue, wanting to curse the man for making her do something as silly as run laps while Carl was down there learning more important things from Michonne. It didn't help that she could see the glances that Carl, Rick, and even Carol were giving her as she made her laps. They clearly felt sorry for her, as shown by the expressions of sympathy they wore on their faces.

On her last lap, she had to jog around Daryl and Rick who were talking by the fence. Daryl stared at her intently as she passed and she wondered if he would be having more words with Merle later. She finally made it to the finish and she collapsed to the ground in front of Merle as she came to a stop. She was panting heavily, proud of herself for making it the whole five laps. It hadn't been an easy task but she was just glad it was over.

Merle stood up straight then and handed her a bottle of water that she hadn't seen there earlier. He must have gone into the prison to get it at some point.

"Here. Need ta keep yerself hydrated. Don't want yer Pops sayin' I mistreated ya none," He said. She accepted the water gratefully, drinking it as fast as her body would accept it. He frowned, "Ya best be slowin' down on that. Drinkin' too fast is gonna make ya body throw it back up," He warned.

It was too late. She had already chugged down at least half of the bottle before taking a breath. She could feel her stomach cramping and she thrust the water to the side, turning her body so that she could throw up.

"Shit," She heard him mutter. She felt him kneel behind her and he used his hand to pull a few strands of hair out of her face. The gesture touched her. She didn't think of him as the type to do something like that.

She heaved up the last of the water and her stomach slowly started to feel better. He let go of her hair to hand her a rag that he produced from his back pocket. She wiped her face and mouth with it gratefully. He stood back up, his earlier concern gone as quickly as it had come.

"Take yerself five minutes an' then we got more work ta do," He said.

She gaped up at him, "More work? I just ran _five_ laps for you," She argued.

He snorted, "And? Ya want a pat on tha back or somethin'? Nobody ever said this shit was gonna be easy. If ya want somethin' bad enough, ya gotta work for it. Ya want tha easy way out; ya can go on down there an' join tha Ninja. I hear she's givin' out yoga lessons or some shit like that," Merle growled.

Beth stood up on shaky, rubbery, legs. She wasn't sure they would support her after her run but they did. "Fine. I don't need five minutes. I'm ready now," She replied.

He arched an eyebrow, "Is that right?" She thought she detected a hint of surprise in his voice but she held her ground and nodded. "Well let's get down ta business then," He said.

"Lead the way," She replied. He was trying to break her but she would show him. Merle Dixon had underestimated just how badly she wanted this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow! I've gotten some more reviews and follows! Thank you to all of you! That's awesome and I am truly thankful. I've managed to get out another chapter for everyone but I fear this will be the last until Tuesday because I am going out of town tomorrow. Unless I manage to get out another one later (and I doubt it, but I never know) then this will have to hold everyone until then. I'm sorry! I hope you all are enjoying the slow burn and the back and forth between our Beth and Merle. Gosh, I love me some Rooker! **

**If you're just joining us, I'd love to hear from you but if you've been with us, I'd _still_ love to hear from you! LOL! Reviews are love y'all and Meth needs some love! Come on, I know the story can't be _that_ bad, LOL. Or if it is that bad, then let me hear about it! :-) Thanks y'all!**

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He had to hand it to the girl; she had the drive. He had worked her until early evening, only stopping for lunch. She hadn't complained anymore after the first time but her eyes had shot daggers at him as he pushed her to her limits. He only called it finished when the evening approached because it would be dark soon and he could see the look of exhaustion in her eyes that she was trying to fight. He had seen grown men give up quicker than this girl and she hadn't even given up yet. He may have pushed her a tad farther than he had originally intended but they only had a week. He was determined to have her ready by the end of that week. This wasn't a game. It was life or death out there and she had the ability to be much more than her group gave her credit for.

It was early yet but he was already up and ready to begin the next day. He knew she was probably still sleeping. He chuckled to himself as he remembered how she had hurried through dinner and then retired to her cell to sleep. He would see how much farther he could press her today. He wanted her to hate him because that hate would take her farther, make her work harder.

He stopped outside of her cell and dragged his blade down the bars, making loud clanging noises. She didn't stir but he heard several muffled grunts and groans from neighboring cells.

"Knock that fuckin' shit off Merle!" Daryl's voice called down.

Merle snickered and entered the cell of the sleeping blonde. Her mouth was parted ever so slightly and she hadn't moved an inch through all of the noise. He leaned down and moved his mouth close to her ear.

"Up an' at 'em darlin'!" He yelled and then moved back quickly as she jerked upwards, her eyes wide.

Her hair was sticking up in several places and her clothes were rumpled. He noticed that she was wearing the same thing she had on yesterday. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and peered at him.

"Grab yerself some breakfast an' meet me in tha side yard in fifteen," He ordered. "Don't be late sugah," He chuckled at her groan as he left the cell.

He strolled through the block into the kitchen and found Carol in the kitchen stirring something in a big pot. He started to pass on through but she looked up at him.

"You hungry?" She asked.

He paused, unsure if she was talking to him or not but when he looked around he saw that he was the only other person in the room at the moment. He shrugged, "Depends. What'cha got in that there pot?"

"Grits with bits of squirrel meat mixed in. Gourmet," She replied dryly.

"Reckon' I can eat," He went to reach for a bowl but she brushed him away.

"Sit," She gestured to the table. "I'll bring it to you."He glanced at the table and then back at her. He never sat at the table. His place was away from the group at the bottom of the stairs. She gave him a pointed look, "Go on. Won't kill you to act like part of this group for once," She coaxed.

He sat at the table wondering what was up with the woman. She had never said much to him before besides a few words in passing. Now she was serving him breakfast? She sat the bowl of grits in front of him and he began to eat. She surprised him by getting her own bowl and sitting across from him.

He arched a brow at her, "Ain't gonna wait on my brotha?" He asked.

She shrugged, "Daryl's a grown man. I suppose he'll be okay if I eat without him," She responded.

He merely grunted and resumed eating. He was in a hurry to get outside in the open. The less time he spent inside of these prison walls, the better. Not to mention the way this woman was acting was making him wary.

He was almost done before she spoke again, "I do have an ulterior motive for eating with you," She said.

_And there it was. _He should have known none of the people here would ever be nice to him without wanting something in return. "Oh?" He asked.

She nodded, "I need to make sure you're serious about staying here with Daryl. I don't want you running out of here half-cocked and dragging him along behind you. Like it or not, we are his friends and his family too and we need him," She lifted her gaze to his. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He stared back at her. This wasn't the same mouse of a woman that he remembered from back at the quarry. She was harder and he wondered when that had happened. If she thought to intimidate him though, she was wrong. He could care less what she thought. She wasn't his brother's blood. He had never even seen his brother show any affection at all towards the woman beyond a smile or a look. That wasn't how Daryl operated.

"You people are all tha same, thinkin' ya know me an' what kinda person I am," He began. "I'm here for my brotha, plain an' simple. He's my _blood_. Y'all can preach about family til' tha cows come home fer all I care," He stood, pinning her with his gaze. "He left y'all here once already. If he decides ta leave again, then we'll leave. Until then, I'm here fer him, _nobody else_."

He was almost to the door before she responded, "I'm not scared of you Merle," She said softly, her voice laced with strength.

He stopped with his hand on the door, not turning around and smirked, "Don't reckon' I give a damn whether ya are or ya aren't woman," He replied and then slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Beth stood in the shadows just outside of the kitchen, having overheard Carol's conversation with Merle. She had felt a strange tinge of sadness when he had mentioned leaving. She hoped that he and Daryl wouldn't leave. She wished the group would be a little more receptive of Merle, but she also understood that Merle didn't help matters with his surly attitude either.

She was bone tired. By the time Merle had gotten done with their session yesterday, she had barely had the energy to hold her head up and eat her dinner. Needless to say that when she fell onto her bunk to rest for a minute she was out like a light. She couldn't believe that he had woken her up so early. He seemed to be _enjoying_ pushing her to her limits. Her body was achingly sore from all of the exercises and drills he had pushed on her and she wasn't really looking forward to seeing what he was going to throw at her today. She feared she wouldn't be good for much more.

Carol had disappeared by the time she walked into the kitchen so Beth just swiped a granola bar and a bottle of water from their food stash. She was glad because as much as she liked Carol, she really wasn't up for questions about her training sessions with Merle. She walked outside, practically devouring the granola whole. She walked around the side of the prison where he was sitting on top of a table, two guns resting next to him.

She downed the rest of the water and made her way out to where he sitting, staring at the fences, "What's on the agenda today? More torture?" She asked dryly.

He shook his head, "Nope. Today ya get tha pleasure o' learnin' how ta use a gun today," He replied.

"I don't see any targets," She said.

"Cause they ain't none. Ya gonna learn about tha gun first. When I feel ya got it down pat, then we can move ta shootin'."

She could tell he was irritated and most likely from his conversation with Carol if the way he had slammed the door on his way out was any indication. She climbed onto the top of the table to sit next to him, stretching her legs out in front of her. She noticed he glanced down at her, but other than that he was quiet.

Finally he stood up and she followed his lead. She was more than happy to sit and learn about guns. As long as she wasn't doing more laps around the prison, she was fine. As she watched he took apart both guns. He did it much faster than she would have thought he would, being that he only had one hand. She noticed that it didn't seem to hinder his ability to do things much. Even now, he improvised by using his arm or the crook of his elbow to help him hold things.

"Watch an' learn," He said and proceeded to put the gun back together one piece at a time.

She studied his movements, trying to remember where he put each piece. When he had it back together, he then took it back apart, setting the pieces out in front of him.

"Now follow my lead," He instructed.

Once they had done it together a few times and she was beginning to get a feel for it, he made her do it on her own while he watched. She glanced at him every few minutes, but his expression remained set, his jaw clenched. Beth noticed that his sarcasm that she was becoming accustomed to was missing from today's lesson as well.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore and she set down the gun that she had just put back together, "I overheard your conversation with Carol this morning," She blurted.

He looked at her sharply, "Becomin' quite tha detective aren't ya?" He asked.

She ignored his comment, "Daryl cares about you, ya know," She said softly.

He narrowed his eyes and snorted, "What ya try'na do darlin'? Play tha Pope an' keep tha peace?"

She stood up and moved over to stand in front of him, "No, but I can see you're upset about something and I figured you might be thinking that Daryl cares more about us than you. I don't think that's true."

Eyes of cold blue steel regarded her as he crossed his arms. She noticed that he had taken his blade out from the metal cuff at some point without her even seeing him do it. "And what? Ya was gonna try an' console me if'n my feelin's was hurt?" He laughed sarcastically.

His words burned through her. She was trying to be nice to him but he was throwing it back in her face. He would never fit in with them if he kept pushing everyone away. Why couldn't he understand that? She shook her head sadly and turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm with his hand, his grip firm.

"Where ya goin'? We ain't done here!" He growled.

"Yes we are. I'm finding someone else to train me. You obviously don't want to be here! Why did you pick _me_ anyway?" She yelled.

"Because I know yer capable o' more than them shit jobs they give ta ya," His tone was eerily soft and he yanked her closer to him. "Ya did more trainin' yesterday without complaint than some o' tha men at Woodbury. That ain't somethin' ta turn ya nose up at girl, whether ya believe it or not."

She swallowed, wondering if he had actually just paid her a compliment. She was acutely aware of their closeness now. They were so close that she could feel the brush of his khakis against her jeans. "Fine. I'll finish what you have planned today but tomorrow I want the man who trained me yesterday back," She said.

He frowned down at her, "What tha hell kinda shit ya talkin'?

"You're distracted today and you're not into this session. I _liked_ the sarcastic Merle from yesterday. I don't like this Merle very much though."

He blinked, releasing her arm, and her fingers drifted to the spot where his hand had been to rub it lightly. He looked out towards the trees and then back down at the table. Finally he let out a harsh laugh and she wondered if he had totally lost it.

"Already makin' demands huh? This ain't 'bout ya _likin'_ me girl. This is 'bout ya learnin' how ta keep from dyin'. Ya want somethin' else, then maybe ya do need ta find another teacher," He said.

She stared at him for several long moments but his expression never changed from cold indifference. She looked for a sign of compassion in his cold eyes but there was none there to be found. She took a deep breath.

"Go to hell Merle Dixon," She muttered and spun around on her heel, leaving him standing in the shadows.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey y'all! I'm back! Sorry I didn't get a chapter out last night, I was sooo tired! I'm still tired in fact lol. Don't you love how you go on vacation to relax and come back more tired than before you went? Anyways, here's a little something for you. I hope it's not too bad. I'm not entirely sure about it, but I'm going to go ahead and post it anyways. Thanks for the reviews and support!**

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Merle was in rare form by the time the next morning rolled around. The girl wasn't anywhere to be found and he was starting to believe that she was actually serious about finding another teacher. He didn't know why he ever cared to begin with but for some reason he found himself searching her out. It took him a while before he found her outside the front of the prison. He bit back a curse as he saw her new teacher. _Daryl_ was currently down there next to her at the fences while she stabbed walkers. He could _feel_ his blood boiling just beneath his skin as he watched them. He stayed within the shadow of the prison but where he could still see everything that was going on.

He couldn't believe she had gone to his brother to train her. He didn't doubt his brother's ability to fight but as far as training someone, Merle knew he had the most experience. Of all of the things they could be doing, she was stabbing walkers through a fucking fence. A lot of good that would do them during an attack because anybody with half a brain could stab something through a fence without a problem. The fence gave them a false sense of security, leading you to believe that you were stronger than you thought. The longer he watched, the more pissed off he got until he found himself striding down the hill. He wasn't even aware of the fact that he was moving until he was halfway across the field.

He saw Daryl glance up at him curiously but Beth was still oblivious to the fact that he was coming towards them as she continued her stabbing. He paused just behind her with his arms crossed, his face a steely mask. Daryl regarded him carefully but didn't say anything and a few minutes later Beth turned to glance at Daryl. Then she noticed Merle and she glared at him for several seconds before turning back to her stabbing.

He chuckled, "Ya really think this bullshit is gonna help ya when tha shit hits tha fan darlin'?" He asked.

He saw her shoulders tense, her blonde hair swinging with her movements. She turned to Daryl, giving Merle the cold shoulder, "Do you mind showing me some more stuff Daryl?" She asked softly.

Daryl glanced back and forth between them before speaking, "Thought ya told me ya weren't trainin' with Merle no more? What kinda shit ya try'na drag me into Beth?"

Beth sighed, "I'm _not _training with Merle anymore. Your _brother_ doesn't know how to act like a decent human being!" She had turned now so that she was facing more Merle's direction and he barely noticed Daryl slowly backing out of the situation. He was staring intently at the little spitfire in front of him.

"Ya done yet?" Merle bit out.

She crossed her arms, mocking his stance, "Yes I am. I'm done with you teaching me like I told you yesterday," She glanced around then, noticing that Daryl had left them. "Now you've run him off!"

"We still got five more days o' trainin' ta go, or didja forget?" He asked.

"_You_ told me to find another teacher!" She was yelling now but fortunately there wasn't anyone moving about outside since Daryl had left and Merle didn't know who was on watch.

"Yeah well I changed my fuckin' mind!" He growled. "We started this shit an' we gon' finish it."

"No," She said and she began walking down the fence line, ignoring him.

Merle growled low in his throat and caught her around the waist, throwing her over his shoulder in a cave man style. If you wanted something done sometimes you had to take charge and get it done yourself.

* * *

Beth couldn't believe the audacity of the man. She had woken up earlier than normal on purpose this morning, wanting to be gone before Merle appeared. She had sought out Daryl and after lots of begging, she finally convinced him to teach her. Except Daryl hadn't really been _teaching_ her, he was more or less just observing. She got the sense that he didn't really want to be there but she had kept going. She knew that seeing her with Daryl this morning would piss Merle off but she was trying to prove a point. The man could be so infuriating at times. She knew he didn't actually think she was going to continue her training with someone else. Now Merle had made a big scene and Daryl was probably mad at her.

She beat against his back in frustration. She would have screamed and she almost did, but she stopped herself just in time. Screaming would alert the whole prison and that would be unnecessary because she wasn't hurt and there weren't any walkers inside the fence.

Merle ignored her protests and kept walking, taking her to the same place they had been yesterday when she had told him to go to hell. Eventually she gave up swatting at him. It was like hitting bricks anyway because he didn't even flinch and now her hand was somewhat sore. He crossed to the table and set her down next to it. Not really thinking her actions through, she reared back and kicked him square in the shin.

"Goddammit!" Merle hissed and his eyes narrowed to slits.

Beth's eyes widened and she began backing up as Merle advanced towards her. She only went a few feet before her back touched against the brick of the prison and she was trapped. He stopped and bent down so that his face was inches from hers. She was breathing heavy and she was actually a little scared. She didn't know what had caused her to try and provoke him in that way but she had to remember that this wasn't Daryl. This was Merle and he was a whole lot meaner than his brother.

"Ya wanna play rough girlie? I'm good at rough," He rasped. She shook her head no, not quite certain that she should speak at the moment. He lifted his hand and she involuntarily flinched which caused him to pause in surprise. "Ain't gonna hit'cha girl. Don't hit fuckin' women, even tha stubborn ones who test my patience," He said. He brought his hand to the side of her face and brushed a strand of hair that had fallen from her eyes. She shivered and her body warmed at the gentle touch. He shook his head, not saying anything and then turned away from her. She watched as he took out the gun from the waist of his pants and set it on the table and then another that was underneath his pants leg.

"Come on over here an' grab a gun darlin'. Gonna show ya how ta aim an' then we goin' fer a little target practice," He said.

* * *

After a while of showing her all of the workings of the guns, he felt like she had a good enough grasp of things to take her for some target practice. All he had to do now was convince Officer Friendly to give him the keys to a vehicle so that he could drive them away from the prison. They couldn't target practice on the grounds and draw in walkers from all over. He left Beth to grab some lunch and went in search of the man. There was nothing he hated more than having to ask permission to do something but he was a little used to it from Woodbury.

He finally found the man talking to the Chinese kid out near the vehicles. As soon as the kid saw him, he shot him a glare and walked away, leaving Merle standing there with Rick. The kid apparently still took the whole beating thing personally but there wasn't anything Merle could do for that short of apologize but he hadn't ever apologized for anything before in his life and he wasn't about to start now.

"Something I can help you with Merle?" Rick asked.

"Like ta take one o' these vehicles out an' let tha girl target practice," Merle replied.

Rick looked at him, clearly thinking about the suggestion before responding, "I don't think that's a good idea. The Governor is still out there somewhere or did you forget?"

Merle shrugged, "Ain't forgot, but needs ta be done. Can't teach 'er ta shoot here an' bring all tha walkers in a ten mile radius down on us now can I? She ain't gonna be a lick o' good if'n she don't know how it feels ta shoot tha gun. We'll drive out ta a secure location an' be back within a couple hours tops," Merle replied.

Rick ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Fine. But make it fast. In and out. If you see anything then you head back here, understood?"

Merle smirked and mock saluted him, "Will do officer."

Rick nodded and turned to walk away but he seemed to think about something and stopped, turning back to Merle, "I'm not telling Hershel you're leaving with Beth so let's keep this as quiet as possible. I'll send Carl to let you out of the gate," He said.

Merle nodded. The last thing he needed right now was the girl's daddy yapping in his ear about his little girl and her _virtue_ and shit. He was the big reason that the girl didn't know shit. Her daddy needed to loosen those reigns a little and let her grow up. He opened the truck door and checked to make sure the keys were inside before going to get some supplies.

* * *

Beth ate her food as fast as she could and then went back outside in search of Merle. She found him over near the vehicles setting a duffle bag on the backseat. He shut the door and then glanced at her, "Let's go. We burnin' daylight," He said as he climbed in the driver seat.

She sighed and went around to the other side of the vehicle to climb inside. He was silent as he cranked the car and drove toward the gate where Carl was waiting to let them out. She wondered how he had been able to talk Rick into letting them have a vehicle and leave the property with everything that was going on.

"Rick was okay with this?" She asked.

He snorted, "If yer askin' if I asked _permission_ then yeah, I talked to him," He tipped his head at Carl as they drove through the gates.

She glanced over at him, "And my Daddy?"

"Don't know nothin'," He replied. "Best ta keep it that way. Yer old man ain't too fond o' me."

"If you would try to get along with every-,"

"No. Ain't changin' for nobody. Don't need nobody's approval. Ain't here ta make nice an' play house," He grumbled.

She studied him as he drove. The hand that was steering the vehicle was gripping it tightly and his forearm was tensed. Every few seconds, his eyes darted around the area, alert for anything out of place. He had on the white tank that he seemed to favor with a short sleeve button-up shirt thrown over it. Khaki pants and boots completed his outfit and Beth thought it was fitting for him. If she didn't know him a little by now, she probably wouldn't approach him. His expression was serious, his eyes intense, and his jaw set. He looked like a cobra that was prepared to strike at the slightest movement. When he glanced her direction and their eyes met, she shivered. His eyes cut down the length of her body and then he looked back at the road again. She felt a warmth spread through her that she couldn't quite place. His eyes had felt like a caress across her body. She tried to focus her thoughts elsewhere. It definitely wouldn't do for her to develop an attraction for the man. He was too old for her even though physically he didn't look it at all. She stared out of the window at the passing scenery and caught sight of his reflection in the window. She was most definitely in trouble here.

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**Review me please! Reviews keep me going :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey y'all! I'm back again! I would like to take a moment and thank each of you for your follows/favorites/reviews! They mean the world to me! Nothing kills a story faster than a quiet audience but y'all have been great! Thank you for that. Here's a little more to our story now and I hope you all enjoy it!**

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They didn't travel for too long before Merle pulled off of the main road and down a side road. He seemed to know the area well so she relaxed in her seat and trusted him to keep them safe. It was weird how much she already trusted the man even though she could actually say she didn't know a whole lot about the him. Of course, growing up she had always tended to trust people until given a reason not to. That was a big difference between her and Maggie. Maggie was always skeptical, never afraid to speak up and question things whereas Beth liked to believe that deep down there was good in everyone.

She believed that about Merle too. Even though he acted the way he did, she knew that somewhere deep inside of the man there was something good there. She saw glimpses of that in Daryl, more so now than when they were at the farm. She had seen it in Merle too even though he probably wasn't aware of it. The first day of her training when she had drunk her water too fast and threw up everywhere, he had held her hair back from her face. Sometimes it was the little things that counted the most. She looked around as he pulled the truck into a clearing of sorts and switched off the engine.

"Welcome ta target practice darlin'," He drawled.

She giggled. His mood seemed to have improved since they had left the prison grounds. He exited the truck and opened the rear door to get some things. She crossed over next to him, keeping an eye out for any lurking walkers. She knew she needed the practice up close, but she wasn't exactly eager for it either. It was one thing to stab them through the fences at a safe distance and a completely different thing to stand face to face with a walker without a barrier of any kind. She knew that Merle had been right earlier when he had scoffed at her as she had stabbed the walkers through the fences. She wouldn't learn anything that way. She watched as he attached a piece of paper to one tree and set several empty cans on top of several stumps.

He walked back over to her and handed her the gun, "Alright. We gon' try fer them cans first an' see how many ya hit. Remember how I told ya ta hold tha gun. There's gon' be a slight kickback so don't jump or you'll throw yer aim off," He instructed.

She nodded and stood where he instructed her and aimed for the first can. Her arms were trembling slightly. Suddenly his voice was right near her ear and she jumped a little at how stealthily he moved, "Tighten up," He murmured. His hand reached around to lift her arms up an inch and his boot nudged her feet further apart. She tried not to think about his powerful, muscled, leg so close to hers and concentrate on the task at hand but it was hard.

She cleared her throat and lined up the shot as best she could before gently squeezing the trigger. Even though Merle had warned her, the impact of the bullet firing from the gun and the loud sound caused her to jerk slightly and she took a couple of steps back into his solid chest.

He chuckled, "Ya don't listen very well, do ya darlin'?"

She made a face, "I _do _listen. I won't flinch next time," She promised.

He pushed her forward with his hand until she was back into position again, "Prove it," He ordered, his eyes shooting her a challenge.

She steadied herself and let out a slow breath, calming herself. She squeezed the trigger again. She didn't flinch this time but she didn't hit the target either. She glanced back at Merle who nodded towards the cans, "Keep goin'. I wanna see them cans fly," He said.

She turned back to the row of cans and fired off another shot. The can spun a little, but didn't fall off. She smiled at the fact that she had at least managed to graze the can. She snuck a glance at Merle who was sweeping the area with his eyes. She focused back on her task and kept going until she finally managed to hit two cans consecutively. Feeling empowered, she bit her lip and fired towards the last can, sending it soaring into the air. She pumped her fist in the air, feeling more proud of herself than she had in a long time.

"Time ta put those practice shots ta use girl. Ya rang tha dinner bell an' here comes ya first guest," He pointed to a walker that was making its way across the field in their direction.

Her heart started to pound in her chest. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet. She wanted to keep shooting at the cans. They didn't move and they definitely didn't try to eat her for dinner. She lifted the gun and tried to focus on the walker. It was limping slightly but still moving fairly easily regardless. She could hear its raspy groans and it never ceased to make her skin crawl. It's milky white eyes seemed to stare into her soul as it drew closer to her. She braced herself and fired a single shot, missing the walker entirely. It was getting closer now and making her nervous. Her eyes darted to Merle who was lounging against the truck, seemingly without a care in the world. She swallowed and took aim again before firing another shot. This time it hit the walker in the arm, sending it stumbling back a few steps.

"Yer over thinkin' it," Merle's voice said from behind her.

She sighed in frustration, "It's hard to focus when it moves!" She said, her eyes never leaving the walker.

He chuckled, "Well it ain't gonna stand there lookin' pretty while ya try ta aim. Slow yer breathin'," He instructed.

She sucked in a deep breath and nodded, trying to do as he said. She tried again and this time the bullet hit the walker in the chest. She felt herself growing frustrated. She angrily aimed again and pressed the trigger but it only clicked and nothing happened. She was out of bullets and the walker was about a foot away from her and closing in fast.

"Merle!" She yelled in panic. "I'm out of ammo!"

She began walking backwards as the walker reached for her, its grimy hands trying to grab her. Merle brushed past her and as she watched he rammed his blade into the head of the walker and twisted, bringing the walker down to the ground before pulling his blade back out. She felt herself shaking. She set the gun down on the hood of the truck and crossed her arms, trying to calm herself. Merle grabbed a rag from the truck and wiped his blade clean. She felt his eyes on her but she wouldn't look at him. She was startled to feel a small tear trickle down her cheek and she frantically swiped at it as more followed.

"Ah hell girlie. Ain't that bad," Merle grumbled.

She sniffed and shook her head, "I want to go back. I can't do this Merle. I'm not cut out for this kind of thing."

He scoffed, "What tha fuck ya talkin' about? Ya gonna let one walker scare ya off? What happened to tha girl moments ago who shot down them cans? Or tha one who ran them laps 'round tha prison? Ya jus' gonna give up?" He stood right in front of her, his face an expression of frustration.

She didn't know what to say. She thought she could do this but then a minute ago with that walker, she had panicked. Instead of trying to reload the gun, she had chickened out and called for Merle to save her. She didn't have the same kind of guts that Michonne or Maggie had. Maybe she _was_ useless. She turned to go around the truck and get back inside but Merle planted his hand against the truck and his blade on the other side of her so that she was trapped.

"Let me go," She said.

"Fuck no! We gonna finish this. I only get one time ta take ya out an' let ya practice an' ya ain't quittin' on me. So quit yer bellyachin' an' reload tha damn gun," He ordered.

She shook her head, "No. It's a waste of time."

His eyes burned into her and he lowered his face so that it was inches from hers. She could feel the warmth of his breath upon her face but she wasn't scared. Oddly enough, she found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss his lips and have his strong arms wrap around her.

He smirked, "Thinkin' deep thoughts?"

She nodded shyly, but said nothing, her eyes still fixated on his lips. Something in his expression changed and he lowered his head until his lips grazed hers just a touch. She shivered and parted her lips slightly. She felt his hand wrap around the back of her neck and he held her still while he increased the pressure, trapping her bottom lip between his teeth lightly. Her breathing increased and she wanted more. She tried to reach for him but he held her firmly with his hand. He pulled back to look at her, "Try'na get me shot darlin'?" He drawled.

She shook her head, her ability to speak momentarily forgotten. He released his hold on her and turned away to retrieve some more bullets from the truck. Scanning the area, he came back to her and handed her the bullets for her to load. She was a little disappointed. _Was that it?_ He had barely touched her but she could still feel the heat from him _all_ over her body.

He leaned back against the truck, "Let's get on with it. Told ya we wasn't done yet," He remarked.

She just stared at him, the bullets in her hand forgotten, "That's _it_?" She asked.

He laughed then and she thought it sounded very sexy coming from him. "Tell ya what girlie, ya hit that circle I drew on that paper there an' maybe I'll kiss ya again," He said.

She raised her brow at him, "Seriously?" She asked.

"Do I look like I'm jokin'?"

His face _was_ serious. She turned back around and looked at the paper. It was farther off than the cans were and she wasn't so sure she could hit it, much less some circle on it that she couldn't even _see_. She found herself extremely excited about the possibility of another, hopefully longer, kiss though. She focused on slowing her breathing and aimed at the paper. She squinted a little and bit her lip as she concentrated. Closing her eyes, she pulled the trigger. The sound of the shot ricocheted through the woods and she opened her eyes to look. Merle walked over to the paper and took it down from the tree, bringing it back with him. At first she didn't think she had hit it at all, but then in the corner of the paper she saw where a piece had been torn off.

"I didn't hit the circle," She was a little disappointed that she wouldn't get her kiss and it showed.

He smirked, "Did damn good though considerin'," He said. "Might let ya have that one," He looked around and then back at the truck. "Let's get inside and head back. Too damn quiet here and I don't like it."

He gathered up the guns and they climbed into the truck. She was a little bummed about going back to the prison but she understood the need for safety and precaution with the Governor being out there somewhere. Merle cranked the truck and put it in gear but as he began to drive the truck suddenly sputtered and died. He frowned and tried to start the truck again but it wouldn't crank. He reached under the steering wheel and popped the hood.

"Stay here an' keep an eye out," He commanded before he exited the truck.

She watched as he made his way around to the front of the truck and lifted the hood. She felt the truck shimmy a little as he stepped on the front bumper to get a better look. He was quiet for several minutes and she looked around nervously for any walkers. Hopefully he could fix whatever the problem was fairly quickly and they could head back towards the prison. She tried to think about how long it would take them if they had to walk back. They hadn't driven very far but walking was a different matter entirely. She didn't think they would make it back by dark. She didn't relish the thought of spending the night outside in the open and vulnerable to attacks. Finally Merle shut the hood and climbed back inside the truck. He had a look of irritation on his face and she grew very worried. She held her breath and waited for him to say something.

He sighed and turned to her, his steel-blue eyes cutting into hers, "We're fucked."

* * *

**Review? **


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this took a minute to get out. This went a little differently than I had first intended but I'm going to go with it anyway. I hope y'all like it and if you do, don't forget to leave me something and let me know! Or even if you don't! Just let me know you're there ;) Thanks to all of those who have reviewed so far and for your kind words. They encourage me to continue. Anyways, hope ya like!**

* * *

Merle knew what the problem was as soon as he tried to crank the vehicle but he popped the hood anyway, hoping that he was somehow wrong. He knew he wouldn't be though. There weren't a lot of things on a vehicle that he didn't know how to fix or at least pinpoint. He sighed as he stared at the battery of the truck. How convenient that he brought the girl out here to practice shooting and the battery should die. That put them in quite the predicament. Not only would it be dark soon but he knew that they would never make it back to the prison having to walk. Add on to that the fact that the Governor was lurking out there somewhere and they were up shit creek without a paddle. He should have known that something like this would happen though. That's just the way his luck ran. Dixon's were notorious for their bad luck.

He sighed and shut the hood before climbing back inside the truck. He looked over at Beth, "We're fucked," He stated.

"What's wrong with it?" She asked.

"Dead battery," He rested his elbow on the arm rest of the door, trying to figure out why he kept getting the short end of the stick. "Looks like we spendin' tha night out here in tha truck darlin'."

She rubbed her arms and looked around cautiously, "Out _here_?" She asked.

He snorted, "'Less ya got a better idea?"

She was silent a few moments before shaking her head. He turned in his seat and reached into his bag for the two bottles of water he had stuck in there earlier. They might get a little hungry but at least they wouldn't be thirsty. He passed one of the bottles to her, "S'all I got so make it last," He commented.

She accepted the bottle and placed it in the cupholder. He watched as she opened the glovebox and rummaged through the contents coming up empty-handed. She lifted the console between the seats and then a grin split her face. She held up a single pack of crackers that probably had the appealing taste of eating cardboard. She halved the pack and tried to hand him his share but he shook his head.

"Ya need it more 'an I do," He said.

She frowned at him, "If you don't eat then I don't either."

She started to place the crackers down but he snatched up the ones she had attempted to get him to eat. "Damn women," He grumbled.

He thought he saw her smile out of the corner of his eye but he wasn't sure. He rolled his eyes and bit into the cardboard crackers.

* * *

It was quiet out there in the field with no one around and nothing to look at or do. They had long since finished their crackers and now they were sitting silently in the truck watching dusk set in around them. If this had been another time and under different circumstances she might think that it was romantic, but seeing as how it was the apocalypse and there would be no rescue, it lost some of its appeal. She shifted in the seat, trying to get comfortable.

"Got ants in ya pants girlie?" Merle asked with a smirk.

She shot him a look, "No. I'm trying to get comfortable," She replied.

She would have climbed in the back to give themselves more room but the seats in the back were the fold down seats that didn't stretch all the way across the truck so that wasn't an option. It appeared they were going to be sharing the front seat for the night. She wondered how that was going to work. Merle was a pretty big guy so unless they lay almost on top of each other, they were going to be sleeping sitting up. She didn't relish the thought.

She watched as Merle took off his blade and cuff and massaged his stump. It was the first time she had seen it completely off. She found herself staring at it intently although she didn't mean to. It didn't look quite as bad as she had imagined it would.

"Somethin' on yer mind there?" Merle cocked a brow.

She blushed, embarrassed at having been caught staring, "Sorry. I wasn't trying to be rude. I've just never seen you without that cuff on your arm. Is it uncomfortable?" She asked.

He snorted, "'Bout as comfortable as a damn splinter I reckon'. Ya get used to it."

"Does the stump hurt?"

He slid his gaze over to hers, "We playin' twenty questions now? Sometimes it aches like my hand is still there, but I know it ain't." She grew quiet and he chuckled, "Anymore questions?"

She was going to say something sarcastic but then she realized that she _did_ have more questions. She wanted to know more about this mysterious man.

"How old are you?" She asked.

"Old 'nough," He replied shortly.

She shifted so that she could take off her boots and draw her legs underneath her in the seat, "Afraid I'll tease you about your age?" She asked.

"Hmph. Ain't 'fraid o' nothin'. Ain't but a damn number, but I don't need ya ass gettin' no ideas," He replied.

"Ideas about what?"

"'Bout me an' that kiss. Ya openin' yaself up ta a whole lotta trouble darlin'. I bet ya ain't even been past first base yet. Can't tell ya how many times I done crossed home plate."

Beth frowned. She really didn't want to think about Merle being with other women. For some reason, that thought didn't sit well with her. She was a little irritated that he just _assumed _that she was a virgin though. If her Daddy hadn't been so strict on her, they might look at her as they did Maggie, a valuable member of the group. Instead she was just Beth, the babysitter.

Suddenly an idea came to her, "Maybe you could teach me some things," She suggested.

He arched a brow, "What kinna things?"

"Like second and third base," She replied.

Merle chuckled and her face flamed. "Mmm...Temptin' but ain't happenin'. I don't mess with lil' girls," He said.

Her expression darkened. He was making her angry and she figured he knew it too. She pushed the center console up out of the way and crawled over so that she was sitting on her knees right next to him. He regarded her carefully out of the corner of his eye but he didn't make any movements. Summoning up her courage she leaned over and pressed her lips to his. For such a hard man, she thought he had the softest lips. She kissed him slowly and he didn't respond at first but after a minute, he began moving his lips under hers. Before she even knew what was happening, he had taken control of the kiss. He still hadn't moved but he was leading the way, carefully sneaking his tongue into her mouth. She pressed against him a little and moaned. He tasted of mint and the crackers they had just consumed.

She started to pull away but he stopped her with his hand and pulled her towards him until she was straddling him in front of the steering wheel. The tight space forced her to press herself even closer to him and she gasped as she felt his obvious erection pressing between her legs. She looked down at his pants and then back up at him. His eyes danced with amusement and something else she couldn't quite place. He rested his hand on her ass and slowly trailed it upwards to cup the back of her neck. Just that quickly she had lost control of the situation.

"What's tha matter darlin'? Too much for ya ta handle?" He teased.

She frowned, knowing that he was goading her. She started to speak but he used his hand to guide her lips back down to his. This time he didn't go slowly; he increased the pressure and intensity so much that it made her head spin. She was vaguely aware of the fact that he had removed his hand and then she felt his finger trace between her legs. She jerked but she had no where to go and he didn't let her pull away from the kiss. He increased the pressure of his finger and she whimpered into his mouth as little sparks of pleasure ran through her. He finally released her from the kiss and she lay back against the steering wheel, her eyes closing as the sensations rocked her. He rolled his hips upward as his finger continued to tease her through the material of her jeans. She moaned and arched her hips. He responded by growling low in his throat.

"Fuck me. Yer soaked darlin'," He mumbled.

She bit her lip to keep from moaning loudly. She didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to them. He leaned forward and placed his mouth over her nipple through the cloth of her t-shirt. She had never felt anything this intense ever. She had explored some with herself back at the farm but she hadn't ever been able to make herself feel this good.

"Merle," She whimpered.

He chuckled, "Mmm...Ya need somethin'?" He asked.

She groaned, "Yes."

"What do ya need?"

_Why was he asking her so many questions? _She didn't know what she needed. She just knew that she needed _something_ and it seemed like it was almost there, but she couldn't quite reach it. She was starting to feel frustrated.

"Merle _please_," She begged.

He paused and she started to protest but he cut her off, "Unbutton yer pants," He ordered, his expression void of all amusement from before.

She scrambled underneath the hem of her shirt and unbuttoned her pants with shaking hands. She was breathing heavily, but she couldn't seem to control it. Her body was on fire with a need she had never experienced. His hand slid down her pants, flat against her belly. He inched underneath her panties and when his fingers tangled in her hair down there she sucked in a breath. She started to close her eyes.

"No," He commanded. "Keep them open. I wanna see ya."

She felt his finger trace her opening and then he slowly slipped it inside and she cried out, biting down hard on her lip. She tasted blood but she didn't care. She ground her hips against his finger and then she felt her body tense. It seemed to happen in slow motion. Her insides began to quake and pulse and she was flooded with warmth. She moaned as she rode out the wave of intense pleasure, her body shuddering against him. The whole time she retained eye contact with him and he stared at her, unblinking as she finally leaned back slightly, her body exhausted. He slipped his hand out of her pants and as she watched, he stuck his finger in his mouth and sucked off her juices. Her insides clenched as she watched him, unable to tear herself away from those eyes of his.

He hummed low in his throat, "Ya taste real good girlie," He said.

She blushed. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that statement so she didn't say anything. Reaching between them, she buttoned her jeans back up and slowly slid back over into her seat.

"Why did you do that?" She asked finally.

He shrugged, "Why not?"

She frowned at him, not being able to read his expression in the darkened truck now, "But you said I was just a girl."

"Figured ya needed ta burn off some tension. Ain't nothin' wrong with helpin' ya out in that department. That's as far as it goes though. Now maybe ya can quit givin' me them damn looks like ya wanna jump my bones," He said.

She was a little hurt. She hadn't expected him to be so blunt about things, "So...that's the only reason you did that? Just to help me out?" She asked. She was hoping he might say he did it because he wanted to or because he thought she was pretty or something.

"What did ya expect from me girl? Thought I was gonna write ya a damn poem or somethin'? Ya wanna be a grown ass woman then that's whatcha get. I tried ta tell ya I ain't what ya need but ya didn't listen," He said.

She swallowed and turned away from him, scooting closer to the window. The whole thing had been so sexual but that's all it boiled down to. They hadn't shared anything more than that. She wanted to know how it felt to be wrapped up in his arms, not just brushed off. She adjusted her seat, laying it back some and turned her back to him, trying to gather her thoughts.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey y'all! Sorry this chapter took a bit to get out. It's been a rough couple of days! This isn't as long as I would have liked but unfortunately my time is limited at the moment. I will hopefully have more free time tomorrow and I should be able to get another (longer) chapter out! I'm glad to see some new reviews for this! I really, really, appreciate reviews guys! It makes me feel good to know that y'all like what I'm writing and want me to continue our story. I hope ya enjoy this next part!**

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Christ, it was ridiculous how slow time could pass sometimes. He shifted in his seat for what felt like the thousandth time and tried to get comfortable. It was no use. He wasn't getting any fucking sleep tonight. Not with the girl over there so close, yet so far away from him.

_Fuck. He could still smell her on his fingers._

He had tried to focus on the plan for the morning, but his thoughts kept drifting back to her. He shouldn't have pleasured her. He fucking knew better, but he hadn't been able to help himself. She had been so fucking wet and turned on that he had almost busted his load in his pants like a fucking teenager. The worst part about the whole damn thing was that he still had to finish out his training with her. He still had to be around her, had to be reminded of how she looked when she came apart at the seams and how she _tasted_. The taste of her was burned onto his tongue.

She shifted in her sleep and he glanced at her. He had been harsh with her afterwards and she had turned from him. He hadn't missed the hurt in her eyes, but there wasn't anything he could do about that. Women were good at making faces and he wouldn't be swayed. It had been a one time deal that wouldn't be repeated. The only thing he had to worry about now was anyone else finding out. He didn't think she would say anything though. She wouldn't want anyone to know about what she had done. He almost felt guilty about it though. _A__lmost. __After all she had practically begged him for it, hadn't she?_ She had been the one to make the first move on him. If he hadn't have let his dick do his thinking for him, then he might not have kissed her earlier and maybe this wouldn't have happened. They could have just kept on going like they were and everything would have been fine.

She shifted again and moaned softly in her sleep and he sighed. At this rate, he would be better off to sit on top of the damn truck and keep watch all night. If she kept making noises like that, he wasn't going to be able to control himself. He laughed softly to himself. It never ceased to amaze him the situations he could get himself into.

Little did Merle Dixon know, that this girl might just be the one to break him.

* * *

Beth slowly came to consciousness as she realized someone was shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes and blinked several times until she remembered she had slept in the truck. _With Merle._ She sat up and turned to look at him. He was staring at her expectantly. She stared back at him silently. She was still upset and hurt about what had happened between them.

"Get yer shit together girlie. Got a long walk ahead o' us," He said as he opened the truck door.

She nodded and shifted about in the seat to make sure that she had everything. The only thing she really had was her knife. Everything else they had with them, Merle had brought along. She turned the rearview mirror around so that she could see her reflection. She grimaced at the face that stared back at her. She could really use a shower. Even the cold showers at the prison were better than nothing. She ran her fingers through her hair and fixed it so that it didn't look quite so terrible. Taking a deep breath, she turned and found Merle staring at her.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

He sucked his teeth, "Nope," He replied shortly.

She stared at him for a moment longer, her eyes narrowed. It was just fine with her if he wanted to act like that. Just fine. She wasn't going to pine away for Merle Dixon. She was worth more than that. She opened her truck door, muttering under her breath and cursing the man for all that he was worth where he couldn't hear her. That was exactly why she didn't see the walker until it was nearly on top of her, its rancid breath washing over her. She shrieked and heard Merle curse from the other side of the truck. The walker wrapped its grotesque fingers around her wrist and with her other hand she grabbed for her knife. Without thinking, she reared back and slammed her knife down onto the head with so much force that she was showered with bits of blood and flesh. The walker fell forward and she pulled her knife out, shoving the body off of her hurriedly. It fell out of the way to reveal Merle standing just behind it an expression of almost admiration on his face. For a moment she forgot her anger at him and she smiled. _She hadn't choked._ She had been so angry from stewing about Merle all night that she had just shifted all of that anger into bringing the walker down. Maybe that was how the others made it look so easy.

"Ya gonna stand there all day or we gonna start hoofin' it back ta tha prison?" Merle's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Her smile faded, her good mood ruined by his surliness, "Yes _master_," She mocked him, rolling her eyes. She gave him a two finger salute.

Something sparked in his gaze and she saw his jaw clench. The look he gave her should have sent her running, but instead it only made her want to throw herself at his mercy again. She wanted to feel his rough fingers stroke inside of her and his mouth on her breast.

_What was wrong with her?_

* * *

Luckily they only had to walk for about thirty minutes before they spotted one of their vehicles driving down the road. Initially, they had almost hopped over into the safety of the woods, but Merle had recognized the car as one of theirs. Maggie was driving and Daryl was riding passenger. Maggie screeched to a halt next to them and before Beth could even speak her sister was out of the car and in Merle's face.

"You son of a bitch! What the hell did you do to my sister?" Maggie cried.

Beth gaped at her before she realized how it must look from their end. She _was_ covered in bits of walker and she was sure she looked near crazy. Daryl was quicker than her to respond though and he grabbed Maggie by the wrists, pulling her backwards.

"Easy Maggie. I'll take care o' this. Tend ta Beth," He said to her.

Maggie nodded, her eyes sending a silent challenge to Merle. Beth noticed that Merle's face was void of all expression though his shoulders had tensed considerably. She swallowed hard and took Maggie's hand, leading her away from Daryl and Merle, "I'm fine Sis," She said.

Maggie's expression softened when she looked at Beth, "What happened? We were going crazy with worry! We thought the Gov-," Maggie's voice choked off and Beth realized exactly what her sister must have been going through all night while they had been stuck out there.

Beth wrapped her arms around her sister and tried to soothe her, "The truck wouldn't start so we had to end up spending the night inside of it. I'm fine though. I promise," She insisted.

Maggie sniffed and Beth felt her nod against her shoulder. She pulled back then and sent a glare in Merle's direction, "That bastard try anything?" She whispered.

Beth shook her head. She would never tell her sister about what had happened between herself and Merle, "No. We just slept. Can we go though? I really want to clean up a little," Beth said. Maggie nodded and Beth glanced over to where Merle and Daryl were having a heated conversation on the side of the road. Merle's eyes drifted up to hers as if he could sense her gaze on him and then he looked back down at his brother. Daryl seemed to be doing most of the talking and from Merle's expression, it wasn't things that he wanted to hear.

Her sister opened up the rear door of the car, "Daryl we need to go. It's too open here," Maggie called.

Daryl turned back to them and nodded. He paused to say one more thing to Merle and then he climbed into the driver's seat of the car while Merle took the other seat. The drive back to the prison was silent and uneventful. The atmosphere in the car was one big bundle of tension and Beth was very relieved when they pulled up at the gate and Michonne was there to let them in. They were greeted by the others as they exited the car and Beth noticed that Daryl walked quickly over to talk to Rick. Rick's expression was a mixture of relief and suspicion, no doubt directed at Merle. Beth walked over to her Daddy and hugged him. She knew he had been worried and she hated when he worried.

"Bethie," He murmured against her shoulder.

"I'm fine Daddy. Just mechanical trouble is all," She explained.

He let out a deep sigh, "I imagined the worst."

She gave him a small smile, "You always do. I'm fine though. Promise," She stated. He nodded once and squeezed her hands in his. "I think I'm going to go and clean up a bit," She told him.

She escaped the crowd gratefully and headed to her cell, intent on making it to the showers as quick as possible. She didn't relish being covered in walker gore any longer than she had to be. She grabbed up some clean clothes from her pile and turned to exit the cell when she was stopped by Merle blocking her exit. As always his very presence filled the room, dominating the air around him. She hated to admit it, but the man excited her in a way that she had never had with Jimmy. She wanted more of him, but she didn't want him to know that. He entered the cell slowly and with purpose. She swallowed and stood her ground.

He stopped inches in front of her, "We're keepin' with tha same schedule fer trainin'. I expect ya ta be out there after ya shower an' ready ta go," He said.

She raised her chin defiantly, "And if I'm not?"

His eyes darkened and his voice lowered, "Don't make me come an' get ya."

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**Review? :-)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi again! I started this one last night and I almost got it out, but I started getting so sleepy so I made myself stop typing. There's no telling what this might have looked like had I not stopped when I did. LOL! Anyways, this chapter started with a certain direction in mind and then it got somewhat mixed up(twice now) and this is the result I got. So it's not what I had intended, but I still think its good all the same. I hope y'all will agree with me! Let me know your thoughts!**

* * *

Beth thought about what Merle had said while she was in the shower. She couldn't believe he was going to continue the training after what had happened between them. She had been sure that he would just stop, especially after the way he had acted.

She sighed and rested her head against the shower wall as the cold water cascaded over her shoulders. She had the whole shower block to herself since everyone else either took theirs in the morning or in the evening. It was almost lunch time now but she surprisingly wasn't that hungry. She just wanted to get clean again. She finished up her shower and dried off before putting on her clean clothes. Instead of going back towards the cellblock to go to the outside, she turned down one of the hallways that led to another area of the prison.

She definitely wasn't going to go rushing out to find Merle Dixon. Just because he said to "jump" didn't mean she was going to obey. She would let him see how it felt to wait outside for her to show up. She knew he was going to be in rare form when she didn't show, but at the moment she was willing to risk it. Besides, she was kind of tired still. She hadn't slept all that well in the truck and she really didn't feel like being put through his drills today. She knew he would lay it on her too, especially since he was obviously mad about something.

He was a hard man to figure out sometimes. She wanted to learn more about him, but he was so closed off to emotions that she knew it would be almost impossible. She was starting to see more similarities between the Dixon brothers than she had originally thought. Still, there was something about Merle that just made her insides twist and tingle. It seemed as if the more angry he got at her, the more she wanted him. She didn't really understand that at all.

She wandered the hallways, stopping to peer into the empty rooms and cells that she passed. She didn't think she had ever traveled this far before and before too long she started to wonder if maybe she had traveled _too _far. It had been quite some time since she had left her cell to go and shower. She wondered if Merle was still out there waiting for her. She figured he had probably stormed off in a temper and gone to her cell to look for her. She snickered as she imagined how his face would look when he didn't find her. It served him right.

She sighed and turned around in the middle of the hallway to head back in the other direction. She had barely taken two steps when she heard a noise behind her. Glancing over her shoulder she saw the telltale shadow of a walker. Bracing herself, she reached for her knife and prepared to take it down. Its raspy groans echoed through the prison hallways and she shivered at the eerie sounding noise. The walker rounded the corner and she tightened her grip, waiting on it to come closer to her. As it began closing the gap, she prepared to strike but her attention was averted to more shadows coming behind it. She swallowed hard as a dozen or so walkers rounded the corner behind the first.

She made a big mistake then. She screamed.

* * *

Merle was fuming as he entered the shower block in his search to locate Beth. She hadn't been in her cell or outside and now he hadn't found her in the showers either. He should have known the girl would try to get out of the training. He was headed back towards their cellblock to check the other cells when he heard the faint scream. He paused, cocking his head towards the tombs. He frowned, but he didn't hear anything else. He couldn't ignore the feeling that something wasn't right though and he proceeded down the hallway after checking to make sure his blade was secure.

He traveled quite a bit and was about to give up his search when he heard noises again. He listened again and heard the sounds of walkers shuffling about. It was then that he heard her gasp. "Fuck!" He cursed under his breath.

Taking a deep breath, he turned a corner and let out another muttered oath at the sight that greeted him. Beth was pressed against a wall kicking and slashing out with her knife. He could see two walker bodies on the ground already and from the looks of it, there were at least ten more pouring into the small space. He immediately jumped in and stabbed his blade through the face of one that was getting too close to her. She jumped in surprise and then he saw the look of relief cross over her face before it was once again replaced with fear.

"Ya got this. Ain't nothin' ya can't handle," He told her as he sunk his blade through the chin of another walker.

They worked side by side, taking down walkers until the room was finally cleared of the last of them. He surveyed the damage and paused a moment to catch his breath. Surprisingly she had held her shit together and he hadn't had to jump in and save her aside from that one time. He leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway from her and met her gaze. She grinned slowly at what they had accomplished and he felt himself smile in return.

She had blood and guts all over her and he was sure he looked the same, but he found himself being pulled to her despite his will. She looked over at him with her big doe eyes and she bit her lip. Christ almighty, _he _wanted to bite that lip.

He pushed himself away from the wall and crossed the space that separated them even though he knew he shouldn't. He was ignoring all rational thought however and he grabbed the back of her neck with his hand to pull her flush against him. She gasped as she felt his erection pressing against her and he lowered his lips to hers. He started out slow, but when he felt her respond hungrily he increased his intensity, stroking his tongue over hers. When she finally pulled back for air, he bent his head and nibbled at her neck. She moaned softly and he finally realized how vulnerable they were standing in the hallway.

He grabbed her hand and tugged, "Come on."

* * *

Beth let herself be led down the hallway by Merle. She was riding high, spurred on by the adrenaline of taking down all of those walkers. She had been amazed at her ability to stick it out and she had thought that she had seen a hint of respect in Merle's eyes as well. He stopped at the third cell that they came too and pulled her inside, shutting the door behind them with a clang. He stripped off the button-up shirt he had on over his tank top and laid it down over the old mattress that was on the bunk.

She backed up until she felt the wall behind her back. He stood in the center of the room, his gaze penetrating her skin. His hand drifted to his waist and he unbuckled his belt and slowly pulled it off. Her mouth went dry.

"Were ya _tryin'_ ta make me come an' get ya?" His tone was soft but deadly. She also detected a hint of annoyance in his voice. Beth was already so turned on that she could hardly stand it and she could only nod in answer to his question. He took another step closer to her, "So ya deliberately ignored me?"

She bit her lip and nodded again as his eyes darkened. He took his time making his way over to her and she felt her body tremble in anticipation. He leaned his blade up on the wall over her head so that he had her trapped against the wall with his body. She gingerly placed her hands over his tank top on his chest and reveled in the feel of the solid wall of muscle there.

His hand reached out and tugged at the hem of her shirt, "Take this shit off," He murmured.

She obeyed and reached down to tug her shirt over her head, leaving her in just her bra and jeans. He tugged down on the cup of her bra until he saw her nipple peek over the top. He lowered his head and sucked it into his mouth hard. She whimpered and he moved his hand up to cover her mouth.

"Gotta be quiet darlin'," He said. "Don't make me gag ya." Her eyes flashed and surprisingly that statement only seemed to turn her on more. He looked down at her in surprise, "Oh, ya like that do ya?" He asked softly.

She blushed, "I've never done it before," She replied.

The corner of his mouth quirked up into a smile and he dipped his head again to suckle at her nipple. She closed her eyes as he swirled his tongue over and over her nipple until she felt her legs start to give. He reached up and unfastened his cuff from his arm and set it down on the floor. He tugged on her hand until she was standing in front of the bed and he pushed on her gently until she lay back on top of his shirt. Her heart was pounding and she was caught somewhere between fear and anticipation. She wanted him, that much she was sure of, but she was suddenly unsure about the act itself. He shed himself of his shirt and she was distracted by the ripple of his muscles. The tank he always wore had never hidden much from the imagination so she wasn't surprised to see how well defined his muscles were. She _was_ surprised by the numerous scars that marred his sculpted body. Some were faded and clearly old, while others were angry looking and possibly newer. Her heart ached for him.

"Hey now, don't need ya ta be feelin' all sorry for me. Ain't nothin' but a thang. I promise everything is still in good workin' order," He chuckled as he knelt down on the bed next to her.

His hand drifted to the zipper on her jeans and she held her breath, her eyes closed. She felt his fingers trail over her belly and then his tongue was on her, alternately licking and nipping at her skin.

It all felt so good, _more _than good actually, but it just didn't feel like it was the right time. She wanted him, but she didn't want him here like this. This felt rushed and...different. She didn't know why he had suddenly changed his mind about having sex, but she didn't want his decision to be an impulse stemming from their adrenaline rush. She suddenly pushed up on his shoulders and he lifted his head in surprise.

"I...I can't do this," She stuttered.

She inched out from underneath him and zipped up her jeans before grabbing her shirt off of the floor where she had dropped it. He still hadn't said anything by the time she got her shirt on and she wasn't sure what to do. He was staring at her, but his face was blank. She swallowed hard as she opened the cell door, "I'm sorry," She whispered and then she left him there and made her way quickly back down the halls to their cellblock. She only slowed when she was a few feet from the door that led into their kitchen and she leaned against the wall for a second. She swiped at the tears that had pooled in her eyes, not wanting anyone to see her crying and get the wrong idea. She took a deep shuddering breath and tried to compose herself. He wouldn't touch her again; she was sure of that. She knew that she had more than likely hurt him by leaving, if it was possible to hurt the man at all. She wanted him to feel something for her, but he didn't and he never would beyond what she could give him. She just didn't think she could do it without knowing that there was something more there.

She finished drying her eyes and made sure her hair was fixed before she stepped through the door, blending in with the others as they lined up for dinner.

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**Don't forget to review! Please and thanks! :-)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay y'all. It's been a night lol. If you're reading my other fic then just know I haven't forgotten it. I'm working on getting some things straight for the next chapter and it's coming along, but it won't be out tonight. My feels were stronger for this one at the moment and I felt like I needed to get this one out. **

**Where are all my readers? I know y'all are out there so don't be shy! Come out and drop me a line, it really does help. :-) I know some of you were expecting Beth and Merle to get it on, but I just couldn't yet. I feel like they could be oh so good together, but first they've got to get on the same page. So here's the next chapter and I hope y'all enjoy it! Please send me some love if you do! Thanks!**

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Beth kept glancing at the doorway all through dinner, but Merle still hadn't shown up yet. She tried not to let it get to her, not to let it make her feel guilty, but it did. She wasn't sure what she had been thinking, but it was done now. Except he still wasn't back yet.

"Beth?" Rick's voice interrupted her thoughts and she blinked back to the present. She noticed that he was staring at her with a concerned look and had now attracted the attention of Maggie and her Daddy.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" Beth blushed at having been caught daydreaming.

Rick smiled at her gently, "I was asking how your training was coming along?"

Well she was pretty sure her training was over, but there was no need to mention that yet, "It's going pretty good. I feel more confident and I think I've gotten a handle on taking down the walkers," She said.

Rick nodded and Beth's attention was momentarily diverted to the doorway as Merle entered the room. She tried to read his expression, but his face was still blank. He served himself a plate of food and went to sit at his usual spot at the bottom of the stairs. Daryl and Rick were the only ones who paid him any attention.

"We need a couple more supplies for Judith and we could use another vehicle and some gas for the others so I was thinking you could go on a run for us and see how you do. You could take Merle with you," Rick suggested to her.

Daryl, who was seated across from her and next to Carol, paused and looked at Rick, "Ya sure that's such a good idea Rick?" He asked.

Rick shrugged, "Well we can't afford to send too many people out and I just figured since he was training her that she might be comfortable going with him."

Beth was quiet, not sure how to respond to this. Ultimately that would be up to Merle and right now she wasn't sure how he was going to react.

"No way! I don't want my sister going with him. Not after what happened last time," Maggie chirped in from beside her.

"Well I just figured-," Rick began.

"She don't need me. Let 'er take someone else. Got some stuff ta do 'round here anyway," Merle's deep voice spoke up over Rick's.

Everyone was silent for a moment and Beth snuck a glance at Merle. He stared back at her blankly and then looked back down at his food. She felt herself choking back tears again.

"I'll take 'er. Damn. Ain't that big a deal," Daryl said.

She felt his eyes on her curiously but she didn't look up at him from across the table. She knew that Daryl was already suspicious of herself and Merle. She figured she would be pretty easy for him to read at this moment too. She toyed with the food on her plate, not really seeing it and not at all hungry.

Seconds later Merle stalked past the table and tossed his plate in the trash before exiting the kitchen to go outside, slamming the door behind him.

Rick cleared his throat, "So, uh, Beth are you okay going along with Daryl?" Rick asked. Beth nodded, her eyes still on her plate. "Well it's settled then. After dinner, we'll get a list together of last minute supplies and you two can leave at first light."

* * *

Merle stabbed the eye of the walker over and over through the fence. It had gotten a piece of its clothing caught on the fence after the first stab and Merle had just decided to keep on stabbing it as long as it hung there. It was proving to help relieve some of the irritation he was feeling, not to mention the blue balls he was struggling with.

The girl had done a number on him. He would admit he should have known better, but he had thought that he had an accurate read on the situation. He had went out on a limb for her, thinking that she wanted it too. Then she had pulled away just as things were beginning to get good and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

She was technically an adult and they both wanted sex so it made sense to him for them to do it together. It wasn't like they had many other options anyway. He laughed harshly as he stabbed the walker again, it's face beginning to resemble something akin to the consistency of ground beef. _Fuck, he had wanted her so bad._ He had been tasting the sweetness of her pussy all over again and he had been so _close_. He growled and turned away from his walker punching bag and was startled to see his brother standing a few feet behind him. He shouldn't have been surprised though. If there was anyone that could sneak up on him, it was Daryl. After all, Merle had been the one to teach his brother how to move silently.

Daryl had his crossbow slung over his shoulder. His brother never went anywhere without the damn thing. He supposed that he could say the same about his blade though. Merle looked down and flicked the tip of his blade, slinging some of the blood onto the ground around him. He spit before looking up into Daryl's gaze.

"What tha fuck ya doin' Merle?" Daryl's voice was low.

Merle chuckled, "Not a Goddamn thang brotha! What you doin'?"

Daryl sighed, his expression clearly indicating his annoyance at the moment, "What's goin' on with you an' Beth? Somethin' happen?" Daryl crossed over until they were almost nose to nose. "Because ya told me ain't nothin' happened between tha two o' ya so did somethin' happen recently or was ya lyin'?"

He regarded his brother warily and sucked his teeth before responding, "Ain't nothin' goin' on lil' brotha. Not a single damn thang."

"So why ain'tcha takin' 'er on tha run tomorrow? Ya was all gung ho ta train 'er an' now ya jus' tossin' 'er to tha side?" Daryl asked.

Merle shrugged, "She don't need me no more. She's got this. Don't worry brotha. I trained 'er right," He said.

Daryl studied him for a few minutes before speaking again. "Ya better be right Merle. Cause if I find out that shit ain't like it should be, then you an' me gon' have a talk. I ain't tryin' ta pick up for ya slack," Daryl pointed his finger at Merle.

Merle's eyes narrowed, "Ya best be takin' a moment ta consider whose face ya pointin' that finger in there brotha'." Merle gave him one last look and brushed past him, leaving him standing there staring.

* * *

Beth had just lay Judith down in her crib and entered her cell when she saw Merle stalk past her cell. From her cell she had a view of him as he climbed the stairs. He didn't look at her, but she knew that he would know she was there. Not much got past him or Daryl.

She really didn't want to go on this run with Daryl tomorrow, but no one had really seemed too interested in her input after dinner. She was still overlooked just as much as she had been before. The person she really wanted to go with was in the cell directly above hers and she could hear him moving around as she listened for it. She knew he was mad. She had hurt him and she understood that. She just didn't know how to tell him that she wanted her first time to be more than some foray in a dingy cell. It would help if she knew that he cared for her at least a little bit.

She cared about him. After spending most of their days together lately, she had come to care for him a great deal. Sure he was a little rough around the edges, but she found that side of him appealing. At least, _most_ of the time she did anyway.

She sighed and leaned back against the wall as she waited on everyone to settle down in their cells. She was planning on sneaking to his cell to talk to him. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to say yet, but she wanted to say something. She hadn't ever done anything like this before and she wasn't sure how to approach him now. That was probably why everyone always looked at her as a kid, the same as Carl. That irritated her.

It was sometime later before everything had grown to the restless quiet that had become the normal at the prison. Beth padded softly to the doorway of her cell and peered out. There were no signs of anyone anywhere and she quietly made her way up the stairs. Only two people slept upstairs: Merle and Daryl. Fortunately for her, Daryl was sleeping soundly on his bunk as she crept by.

There was a soft light spilling out of the cell that Merle occupied and as she came to a stop in front of it, she saw that he was sitting on the edge of his bunk fiddling with something in his hands. He wasn't wearing a shirt and the sight of those muscles once again distracted her and she lost her train of thought as he looked up. His steel blue eyes met hers and he regarded her silently before turning back to the object in his hands.

"Got somethin' ya wanna say?" He asked finally.

She slipped inside of his cell and walked over to lean against the wall in front of him, "I know you're wondering what happened earlier and I-"

He snorted, "Ya ain't gotta explain nothin' ta me suga. If yer thinkin' my feelin's was hurt, think again," He muttered.

She shuffled her feet, "I didn't mean-"

He stood up so quickly that her sentence was cut short. "Ya didn't mean _what?_ Ya didn't mean ta let me touch ya? Let me run my hand down yer body?" He trailed his hand down from the curve of her breast to her hip. "Or did ya not _mean_ ta moan an' whimper when I sucked those pert tits a yers?"

She winced a little at his harsh words. She was very aware of his hand resting upon her hip and now she was second guessing her decision to come into his cell. Clearly she should have waited. He was angry at her and she didn't know how to come back from that now. Tearing her eyes away from his, she pushed his hand off and brushed past him. She hurried down the stairs and crawled into her bed, pulling the blankets around her. She refused to cry again. She was done being quiet, nice, Beth. _Done_.

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**What do you think?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here we go again! I'm working on Night and Day as soon as publish this one so no worries! It will be out today. It was just one of those days where I woke up and I knew I had to get this out before it left me. Sometimes the muse works that way! It's not a long chapter by any means and you'll see why when you read it. Thanks for all of the reviews for the last chapter! Awesome! Awesome! I'm flattered, grateful, pleased, etc. So I went ahead and published this one out for y'all. Enjoy!**

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Merle was no where to be found the next morning when Beth headed out to the vehicle that she and Daryl were going to take on the run. She had gone upstairs under the pretense of asking Daryl something and she had glanced into his cell. It had been empty and the bed had been made. She didn't want to ask anyone where he was though, for fear they would wonder why she was inquiring about the man. Instead she kept quiet and made sure she had her weapons and food for later for the both of them. Her Daddy hugged her tight and kissed her cheek, wishing her safe travels. She saw him exchange a few words with Daryl and then he clapped the man on the back. She felt a little annoyed at that and she wondered why he couldn't be the same way with Merle. She knew that Merle wasn't Daryl, but it hurt all the same.

Once they were loaded up, they got into the car and Maggie and Glenn waved them through the gates. She kept looking for Merle, but it was no use. She hadn't seen him anywhere and she hated to admit how disappointed she was. She had only brought this on herself anyway. They rode in silence for a while and Daryl remained focused on their surroundings. She looked out the window for a bit at the passing scenery, but quickly grew bored of that. That wasn't exactly a lot to look at anymore. She wished she knew something to talk about with Daryl, but she was a little scared that if she started a conversation he would ask her about Merle. She wasn't sure she could talk to Daryl about her brother.

Finally he spoke up as he weaved them around several cars that were abandoned on the road, "Ya ready for this?" He asked.

She took a deep breath and nodded, "I think so."

"Ya better _know_ so. I can't be havin' ta worry 'bout ya every five seconds. This is yer moment kid. Take it or leave it," He said.

"I'm not a kid," She responded.

He lifted a brow, a smile quirking on his lips, "Oh?"

"Don't you ever get tired of people labeling you?"

He grew silent then, his expression turning serious and after a moment, he nodded. "I s'pose I know what ya mean. People's always thinkin' me an' Merle's nothin' but redneck trash. I'll give 'em tha redneck part, but I ain't never been no trash," He commented.

She studied him quietly. This was the first time she had ever had any type of serious conversation with Daryl and it was only then that she realized he was talking to her as if she was his equal instead of beneath him. "I think people are too quick to judge what they don't know. Most times it's to hide their own inadequacies," She said.

He chuckled, "Ya know, I reckon' ya ain't too bad kid. I can see why ya frustrated cause everyone's always stickin' ya in tha corner. I keep tellin' Carol she needs ta let some of tha others help 'er cook an' clean, but she's hard headed."

Beth smiled at his obvious affection for the woman. It made her sad that Merle couldn't be a little more like his brother. "Thanks," She said softly.

He glanced over at her, "Ya ever tell anyone I said that an' I'm takin' it back," He replied dully.

She laughed, glad for the comic relief, "I won't tell." He nodded and then they grew quiet again as he continued on to a destination unknown to her.

* * *

It was some time before they finally arrived in a little town that was about an hour away from the prison if she had guessed right. He pulled them up in front of a pharmacy that had a couple of broken windows, but could still hold things they might be able to use.

Daryl grabbed his crossbow before looking to her, "Stay close an' keep yer eyes peeled," He said.

She nodded mutely and reached for her knife so that she would have it ready. They stepped out of the car and made their way over to the pharmacy. Beth could see a few walkers across the street from them, but so far none of them were paying them any attention and she kept an eye out as Daryl peered through the broken windows. He backed up after a second and motioned her closer, "Got three of 'em wanderin' 'round in tha back. I'm gonna take one out with my bow an' then we can knife tha other two. Think ya can handle it?" He whispered.

"Yeah," She whispered back.

He stared at her for a moment longer and then stepped over the broken glass and into the pharmacy. He waited just inside for her to make it across and then he aimed his bow and fired the first shot into the skull of one of the walkers. The other two immediately turned toward the source of the noise and Beth tightened her grip on her knife. Even though she must have taken out four or five with Merle just the other day, she was still a little nervous. There was always the chance that things could go wrong. She summoned up her courage though and approached one of the two remaining walkers. She saw Daryl take the other down out of the corner of her eye.

The walker made to reach for her, its boney fingers caked with blood and muck. It groaned in its raspy sounding voice and she braced herself before rearing back and letting her knife fly through the air. It connected with its face, making a sickening crunch and she pushed all of her weight into it. The walker crumpled beneath her and she had to hang firm to her knife to keep from going down with it. The knife slipped out of the walker eliciting a sickening plop and Beth sidestepped to avoid it falling over onto her foot.

She turned then, to find Daryl nodding at her from a few steps away, "Not bad. Definitely not tha same Beth from before, huh?" He asked.

She smiled, appreciating the compliment, "Thanks, and no I'm not the same Beth."

His eyes traveled to the outside and she saw that they were attracting a little attention from some of the walkers shuffling through the streets. He frowned and began scanning the shelves, "Let's get what tha hell we need an' get outta here. Ain't wantin' ta get caught in no herd," He muttered.

She agreed and they rummaged through the rest of the shelves, finding very little of use. She grabbed what she did see though and stuffed it into her backpack. They could cipher through it later, she thought. She noticed that Daryl kept glancing towards the windows and when she looked again something seemed off. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was until Daryl started making his way towards the window. Then she noticed that there weren't any walkers anywhere. She frowned and unconsciously walked over to where Daryl was standing. His brow was furrowed and she knew that he had noticed.

He glanced at her, "Time ta go. Somethin' ain't right. Stick close an' move fast. I'll cover ya, jus' keep movin'," He ordered.

She nodded, her heart beginning to race. If Daryl was worried, then chances were there was something to be worried about. Daryl stepped out and she quickly followed suit. Their movements were quickly cut short though as Daryl jerked backwards and began to fall. She could see some kind of needle sticking out of his arm and she panicked.

Seconds later, her world went dark.

* * *

Merle wandered the prison grounds in a restless state. He had watched the girl and his brother leave that morning for the run with an uneasy feeling. He knew that Daryl would take good care of her, but something still didn't feel right. As the day progressed, that same feeling grew more and more until he was a bundle of pent up frustration. For the most part he stayed away from everyone all day. The only two people he really talked to weren't there and he didn't feel comfortable hanging around the others in the group. They weren't exactly his biggest fans and he knew if it weren't for his brother, he wouldn't be here.

His feelings increased more and more as the day wore on and finally as dark began to fall, he found himself up in the guard tower with Rick, pacing the floor. Just the fact that he was occupying the same space as the man, only made his worry that much more apparent. He could tell that the other man was worried too even though he tried to hide it.

"Somethin' ain't right out there. I can feel it. Been feelin' it all damn day," Merle commented.

Rick sighed and lowered the binoculars he was using to try and scan the area, "They might have just gotten held up," He said.

Merle snorted, "Yeah, by the Gov'nor. My brotha woulda been back by now Sherrif."

"We can't afford to send anyone out to look for them. There are others here we have to protect. Just give them time. They could pull up any second and then we'd be putting the others at risk for nothing," Rick said.

Merle scowled, "Fine. I'll give 'em til mornin' an' then I'm goin' after 'em. He ain't back by then, somethin's definitely wrong."

Rick pulled away from the balcony to look at Merle, his expression a mixture of worry and exhaustion, "You can't just go out there alone. It isn't safe," Rick insisted.

He snorted, "Ain't yer call ta make Sheriff. Come first light an' that vehicle ain't back with the both of them in it, I'm outta here. With or without anyone's help," He turned to leave the tower and then paused as he passed Rick. "That's my blood out there an' I ain't jus' gonna sit here while that sadist destroys my brotha."

He took the stairs two at a time. He wouldn't think about the fact that the girl was in the hands of a monster. He had to believe that she would hang on at least until he got there because at first light he was headed out.

* * *

**So we're hitting a little turbulence...Sorry about that, but that's how my mind takes me sometimes. Review me y'all! I wanna hear it! ;-)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Y'all are awesome people! Once again, inspiration hit hard and here is another chapter for you! I don't know if your reviews inspired me or my brain just decided this had to come out NOW. LOL. Anyways, I'll have more notes at the end. Y'all enjoy!**

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_Pain._

Pain was the first thing Beth felt when she tried to open her eyes. At first she couldn't see anything and then she slowly came to the realization that she was blindfolded. Her head was also throbbing and her hands appeared to be bound by something that was unknown to her. She could hear shuffling noises around her and she froze, terrified that there were walkers nearby.

"Dammit!"

She paused as she recognized Daryl's voice, "Daryl?" She whispered, not sure how loud she could be at the moment.

"Beth?" His voice sounded raspy and slightly out of breath. "Are ya alright?"

She swallowed through a lump in her throat, "I...I think so. My head hurts but I seem to be okay. I can't see though," She said.

"Me neither. Ya head pro'bly hurts from that tranquilizer we got shot with," He commented.

"Tranquilizer?" She asked.

"Yeah. Musta been some pretty damn strong drugs too. Knocked my ass right out," He muttered.

They both grew quiet as they heard a door open and someone entered the room. Beth tried to control her breathing, but she failed and she began breathing faster. The footsteps grew closer to her and paused right in front of her. Suddenly the blindfold was lifted from her eyes and she found herself staring into the face of a black man that she didn't recognize.

He peered at her intently, "What's your name girl?" He asked.

"B..Beth," She responded.

"Leave 'er alone ya dick. Ya wanna mess with someone, ya can mess with me!" Daryl shouted.

The man glanced over his shoulder at Daryl and shook his head before turning back to Beth, "Where did you people come from?" He asked.

She lifted her chin and regarded him silently. She wasn't giving _anything _away. The man frowned at her and then grabbed a bottle of water off of a nearby table.

"Thirsty?" He asked.

She was, but she wasn't sure if this was some kind of trick or not. Still, the water looked very refreshing to her dry throat so she nodded, "Yes."

"I'll give you this water, but first you have to tell me where you came from," He said.

"We came from our momma, ya asshole," Daryl spat.

The man sighed heavily, "Your friend has a very foul mouth. Now it's a simple question and I would like a simple answer. Are you part of a larger group?"

Beth regarded him warily, "We have others. They will be looking for us," She said.

The man nodded and rubbed his forehead, "The man with the patch over his eye? He your people then?"

Beth was confused. _The Governor?_ She thought that _this_ man was with the Governor, but now she was starting to question exactly where they were and who they were dealing with.

"That piece a shit ain't a part of our group! Take this damn blindfold off!" Daryl growled.

"You know that man then?" He asked them.

"We know him," Beth replied softly. "Calls himself the Governor. He's attacked our group before."

The man paced back and forth in the small room and then he stopped next to Daryl, "I'm gonna take this blindfold off so keep still," He told him.

She watched as the man removed Daryl's blindfold, but Daryl didn't appear to recognize the man either. "Who are you?" She asked softly.

"Name's Morgan," He answered. "Who are you people?"

"Morgan?" Daryl asked. She watched as he crinkled his forehead as he stared at the man. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Don't have a clue. I don't recall ever seeing either of you before. If you think you can both be civil, then I'll release you. I ain't the type to just hold people hostage for no reason, but you can't ever be too careful these days," Morgan said.

He walked over and began untying Beth's hands first. As soon as they were free, she began rubbing her wrists trying to get the blood flowing again. Morgan moved over to Daryl and freed his hands next. Daryl nodded at him, "Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem. Come on across the hall and I'll fix you a bite to eat. Be mindful of where you step though. Got some traps set up for the walkers," He paused at a doormat in front of the door and pointed at it. "Step over that," He said.

Beth glanced at Daryl and he shrugged as they followed Morgan into the other room across the hall. It seemed as if they were in an old office building of some sort. In the next room, they found dozens of cans of food, but that wasn't the most impressive thing. The thing that most caught their attention were the weapons. In the center of the room there were three large boxes of guns, grenades, and what she guessed were the tranquilizer guns.

"You tha one that shot us then?" Daryl asked as he peered down into the box.

Morgan nodded, "Like I said. Couldn't take no chances. That man you say calls himself the Governor came through a few days ago. He talked a big game, but I smelled something off about him. He tried to get me to join his little entourage, but I work better alone. I had a man I knew from Atlanta ask me to join his group a while back now and I declined. He was a good friend too. A sheriff and a real stand-up guy. He helped me and my son in Atlanta and I'll never forget that," Morgan said.

Beth looked at Daryl and knew he was thinking the same thing. _Could this man be referring to Rick?_

"Ya talkin' 'bout Rick Grimes?" Daryl asked.

Morgan glanced at him in surprise, "Yeah! At least I think his last name was Grimes. He's got a son too, about the same age mine would have been if he were still alive..." Morgan's voice trailed off and Beth felt her heart go out to this strange man.

"We know where to find him," Beth blurted. Daryl shot her a look but she surged forward. "He's a part of our group, him and his son Carl. We can take you to him. We have a prison and you'd be safe there," She said.

Across the room, Daryl sighed, "Dammit Beth. Why ya gotta go blurtin' all that shit out?"

She blushed, "Sorry. I've heard Rick talk about him before. If Rick thinks he's a good guy, then he must be, right?" She asked.

Morgan stared at her, "He said I was a good guy?"

Beth nodded, "He said he tried to find you back in Atlanta. I remember him mentioning it once."

Morgan smiled softly, lost in his thoughts, "Rick is a good man too. I think I kind of ran him off last time we ran into each other. He tried to get me to come with him then, but I refused. I was a little crazed at the time. My son's death was too fresh on my mind," He said.

"So ya said tha Governor's been by here tryin' ta recruit ya. He ain't gonna stop ya know. If he even gets wind o' ya weapons here, he'll be after 'em. We can take ya back with us if ya want. Tha others are probably lookin' for us," Daryl told him.

Morgan sat down heavily in a chair and rubbed his head tiredly, "I ain't really been around people in so long, I'm not sure I would know how to act," He sighed. "I suppose I'm willing to give it a try though."

* * *

Merle stood up in the guard tower, staring blankly out at the night. He couldn't see shit really, but it made him feel better to stare out at the night anyway, just in case. He had volunteered for night watch and Rick surprisingly hadn't argued with him. He saw that the other man was dead on his feet and he suspected he was in his cell right now passed out. Merle sighed and rested his forearms on the railing. He couldn't get the girl and his brother out of his mind, wondering what was happening. He was about to sit down in the chair when he spotted a light winking through the trees. He squinted into the distance, waiting. Minutes later, headlights spilled out onto the road in front of the prison gate.

Someone was approaching.

* * *

Beth knew that the others would be worried sick by now, but they had wanted to get back as quick as possible just in case they sent someone out to search for them. She knew they were probably raising concern pulling up this late, but she hoped whoever was on watch was paying attention and saw them drive up.

Sure enough, several minutes later they spotted Merle at the gate and Daryl stuck his head out of the window, "It's us Merle!" He yelled.

Merle pulled open the gates, and they drove through to the next set and waited while he opened them. Once they were open, Daryl drove them up next to the other vehicles and they exited the car. Apparently, Merle hadn't had time to alert any of the others to their presence because no one was outside waiting for them.

"I'm going to run inside and let the others know we're back Daryl," She called to him.

He nodded and she entered into the prison. Michonne was sitting at the table with Carol when she walked inside and they both jumped up in surprise.

"Beth!" Carol cried and she ran around the table to pull her into her arms. She pulled back quickly to look her over. She looked relieved to not see any injuries and then her expression grew serious again, "Daryl?" She asked.

Beth smiled, "He's okay. He's outside with our new visitor," Beth replied.

Rick came striding into the room just then and sighed with relief, "Oh thank God. We thought the Governor might have..."His voice trailed off. "Are you both okay?"

Beth nodded, "We brought someone with us to see you," She said.

Rick frowned, "Who is that?"

Beth was about to speak when Daryl and Morgan entered, followed by Merle whose eyes focused immediately on her. She felt the heat of his gaze even through the small crowd that was forming around them. She felt herself being pulled into Maggie and her Daddy's arms, but she never broke his gaze. She couldn't tell what he was thinking by his expression though and that worried her.

Rick embraced his friend and then made introductions to the group. Daryl recruited Glenn to help him bring in the boxes of weapons. They had had to leave the car and locate a larger truck in order to bring everything back. Morgan had accumulated a lot of things while being on his own.

"Are those all _guns_?" Maggie breathed as they sat the boxes on the table.

Daryl nodded, "Guns, tranquilizers, an' grenades even."

Everyone in the group began to move towards the boxes and there was lots of chatter as they sifted through the guns like kids at Christmas time. Beth met Merle's eye and slipped slowly out of the room. She walked into her cell hoping he would follow and sure enough, he was standing in her doorway moments later. He leaned his muscled frame against the bars.

"Ya shouldn'ta been out there without me. Ya ain't ready yet," He said harshly.

She narrowed her eyes. She should have known better than to think that he would be relieved to see her back. All she wanted to do was apologize for leaving him, but he was making that hard to do.

"I did just fine without you," She snapped.

His eyes flickered and he stood up straight, crossing slowly to the center of the room, "So ya think ya somethin' now, do ya?" His voice was deadly soft.

She sighed and touched his arm, feeling the muscle flex underneath her hand, "I'm sorry," She said softly, referring to when she had left him. She really was sorry. She didn't want to fight with him. She wanted him to hold her, but she knew that Merle wasn't that type. Just by him standing before her made her want him. She couldn't remember ever wanting anything more, but she tried to stand firm in wanting more. He looked down at her hand that was still touching his arm and then back at her before pulling away from her and turning to leave.

"Merle, don't go!" She said without thinking.

He paused at the doorway. She could see the tension throughout his shoulders and back and then he simply walked away and left her standing there, the sounds of the group's voices drifting into her cell from the other room, oblivious to what had just taken place.

* * *

**So...Were any of you expecting that? I know, I know, I'm an evil person LOL! Just know that the Governor IS still out there and may appear at any time just like on the show so keep that in your minds. I just decided that we should use Rick's friend Morgan because we can always use more people on Team Prison, right? I know this chapter didn't have loads of Meth, but I promise there is more to come from our lovely couple! **

**Don't forget to let me know what you think! :-)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Well, for better or worse, here you go! It's short, but I hope it's not too bad. For some reason, this one didn't seem to come as easily as the others and I'm not sure why that is. Hopefully, it's not awful though! It's been a long day for me here today, but maybe I can manage to get something else out tomorrow. We'll see how it goes. I appreciate all of your comments and follows! I get so excited every time I see an email about this fic! Reviews are like chocolate and I LOVE chocolate! (And Norman and Michael) LOL! Anyways! Enough of my craziness!**

* * *

When Beth made it to breakfast the next morning, she was surprised to find that most of the group had already eaten and were already outside hard at work. Carol was still in the kitchen as well as her Daddy who was bouncing little Judith in his arms. The little girl was smiling happily at him and her heart warmed at the sight. Her Daddy was so good with babies and the babies usually took to him pretty well too.

She grabbed a bowl of the tasteless oatmeal and sat down to eat mumbling a good morning to the three of them. "Sleep well?" Carol asked her.

Beth hadn't, but she nodded yes anyway. It wouldn't be wise to tell them that she had spent most of the night tossing and turning over Merle Dixon. He hadn't been in his cell this morning either and she hated the fact that she had felt compelled to check.

"Everything alright Bethie?" Hershel asked.

She nodded and managed a smile for her Daddy, "I'm just tired from yesterday I suppose."

She finished off her oatmeal and offered to help Carol with the dishes, but the woman shooed her away, "Go ahead. I've got it. I know you want to get outside and join the others. Besides, don't you have more training with Merle today?"

Beth had forgotten that she was supposed to still be training with Merle today, "Oh yeah...I, uh, I should go find him then," She stammered.

"Well good luck today and don't let that man push you around!" Carol said.

Beth smiled at her and kissed her Daddy's cheek before heading outside. She spotted most of the group gathered around the picnic tables talking to Morgan. She walked over to see what was going on.

"I can set up some spikes here to help keep the walkers away from the fences," Morgan pointed to what appeared to be a diagram they had spread out on the table. "Then we can set up various traps around the outer perimeter in case the Governor decides to make an appearance."

Rick nodded, his expression one of complete concentration, "You really think we can pull this off?"

Morgan rolled his eyes, "Please. I've had nothing more to do with my time than study how these things work. It'll work. We can make it work," Morgan said.

"I say we do it. It's the best plan we've had so far. It definitely can't hurt," Glenn chimed in.

"A little extra insurance never hurt anyone," Michonne said.

Beth backed slowly away from the group and headed towards the back of the prison to see if Merle was around. As she stepped to the back though, she didn't see him anywhere. She had figured he might be out there doing whatever it was that he did when he wasn't antagonizing everyone.

She climbed up on top of one of the rickety picnic tables that were sitting back there and polished her knife with her shirt until it gleamed. She noticed that no one in the group had even noticed her appearance out front nor did they notice her departure. It irritated her that she was still brushed off. Even Carl seemed to be included more than her, simply because he was a boy. She sighed and stretched out on top of the picnic table, enjoying the feel of the sun on her face and legs. She closed her eyes and for just a moment, she imagined that she was laying out on a beach somewhere and that life was normal again.

* * *

Merle watched the girl leave the group that was currently poured over the picnic table staring at some drawings that were supposed to be blueprints of how they could better fortify the prison. It was a good idea in theory, but it wouldn't last. The Governor might fall for it once, but if it wasn't a fatal shot then they might as well give up because the sneaky bastard would be expecting it the next time. He had to admit that the man they called Morgan had a lot of good shit as far as weapons went and those would definitely come in handy. He was a little sure of the man's stability, but he supposed he had known worse people over at Woodbury.

He slipped away in the direction that the girl had gone, curious as to what she was doing. When he rounded the back of the prison and caught sight of her lying on top of the picnic table with her eyes closed, his mouth went dry. She was spread out as far as she could get and her eyes were closed. He took a moment to stare at her. He wanted to turn away, but his legs just wouldn't cooperate with him. He hated that he couldn't seem to control himself around her. He was usually much stronger than this, but there was just something about her and ever since they had had their little rendezvous in the cell, he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind. It was driving him crazy. He found himself walking over to the table without even realizing that he was doing so until he was standing over her and she opened her eyes and gasped.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

He smirked, "What tha hell are you doin' back here for all tha fuckin' world ta see? Ya know there's a fuckin' killer out there or did'ja forget?" He gestured towards the woods angrily.

He hadn't meant to start spouting off at her the way he did, but she really didn't think sometimes. She sat up and stared at him, "I am quite aware, thanks. You know, you don't have to be so mean all the time! It wouldn't kill you to treat me a little nicer!" She huffed.

He unconsciously took a step closer to her, "Well maybe when ya quit doin' dumb shit an' start actin' like ya got some sense then maybe I will," He said.

She climbed down from the table and poked him in the chest with her finger, "You're a bully Merle Dixon! I've been nothing but nice to you, but you're _pushing_ it! I've apologized for the other day but you ju-"

He cut her off with a kiss. He couldn't help himself, but the sight of her so riled up did things to him. Maybe he subconsciously pissed her off just so that he could see the fire enter her eyes. Either way it did things to him that no one else had ever been able to manage.

_Sweet Jesus, but she tasted like_ _Heaven_. He fisted his hand in her hair and she melted against him as he trailed his tongue over her lip. He bit down softly on it and she moaned into his mouth.

"So fuckin' sweet," He murmured. He pulled back to look into her lust filled eyes. Those eyes were going to be the death of him.

She hooked her fingers into his belt loops, "Show me how to please you Merle," She whispered.

He shook his head, "Ain't happenin' darlin'," He said.

"Please. Let me make you feel as good as you do me," She begged.

He groaned as her hand slipped into his pants and grabbed the length of him. She gasped as her fingers wrapped around him and he almost blew his load in his pants just from the expression on her face.

"As flatterin' as ya are at tha moment, I can't let ya do that. Ain't wantin' no repeat o' last time," He said through clenched teeth.

She wasn't paying him any attention however and her fingers squeezed experimentally around him, making him hiss. She looked completely fascinated and he knew he should pull away from her, but he couldn't find the willpower to do so.

"Do you like me Merle?" She asked suddenly.

He tried to focus through the lusty haze that was fogging up his mind, "Do what?" He asked.

"Do you like me? Or am I just some woman that you want to have sex with?" She asked. He held back a groan as she slid her hand forward over him. _What the hell kind of game was she playing?_ She paused, "I just don't want to be some one night stand. I want it to mean more than that. That's why I left," She said softly.

He cleared his throat and removed her hand from the inside of his pants, "So ya thought I was jus' usin' ya?" He asked angrily.

She bit her lip and nodded, "It would be my first time...I just wanted it to be more than a quick thing in a jail cell."

He ran his hand over his forehead, "Christ girlie, look around ya! This whole place _is_ a jail cell!" He walked away a few feet and then paced back and forth as he tried to think.

She followed him, "I'm sorry. I know I'm confusing. It's just that my mind says one thing while my body says another and-"

He whirled around, breaking her thoughts, "Forget ya mind! What does yer body say?" He growled.

She blushed and looked up at him from beneath her long lashes, "My body says..._yes_," She replied.

He was going to die from this; he just knew it. She was going to get him killed for sure, but a part of him was thinking that she might just be worth the risk. He stared at her for several beats, the only sounds between them being the sound of their breaths mingling in the air.

"Meet me in tha guard tower tonight."

* * *

**Review?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey y'all! I can't believe how much my reviews have grown since I started this! I'm honored and very humbled by your kind words! Sorry it's taken me a while to get this one out, but it's a long one and there was lots to cover in this chapter. I'm sure you'll be pleased with it. I know some of you have been waiting on it!**

*****WARNING: Sexually explicit chapter, so if you don't want to see the smut, then skip it! (But honestly, why are you reading a Meth fic if you don't like smut? I mean, it's _Merle Dixon_. The man screams smut. LOL!)**

**Anyway, I expect to get some love for this chapter y'all! I worked SUPER hard on it and I'm pretty pleased with it!**

* * *

Merle was pretty sure that when he finally died, he was going to hell. He had to be twenty years older than the girl. _Christ, he was fixing to take her virginity! What the hell kind of person did that make him?_

He pounded on the door and waited a moment before he began walking up the stairs to the guard tower. The Chinaman and his girl had watch before him and he knew enough about what went on around here to know to give them a heads up before he simply walked up to take over for his shift. He figured this guard shack was going to see a whole lot of fucking action from here on out. It was the equivalent of one of those sleazy motels that you rented by the hour.

As he crested the top of the staircase, he earned himself a glare from Maggie and was ignored by the Chinaman. If it had been any other day, he would have taken the time to stir them up a bit, but as it was his mind was preoccupied with the company that he was expecting later. He knew it was a bad idea to do anything while on watch, but at least they had someone on watch in the guard tower in the back of the prison as well. The two occupants on watch left the tower without saying a word to him, but it didn't faze him. He wasn't here to make friends and play nice with any of them. It was no skin off his back what any of them thought except for his brother and the blonde. He wasn't sure what it was about her, but she was getting to him.

He found himself getting a blanket out from the stack that they kept for cool nights and spreading it out on the floor. He unstrapped his blade and set it to the side and turned the flame down on the lantern before going to the rail to look out at the night. He massaged his stump absentmindedly and sighed while looking out at the darkness outside. He turned back towards the blanket and lantern and wondered again what in the hell he was doing. He knew she was a virgin. He could practically _smell _it on her. The thought excited yet terrified him at the same time. He considered himself damn near an expert when it came to seduction, but so far all he had done was fumble with the girl. He had never been with a virgin before, but that didn't matter any. He knew how to start and he damn well knew how to finish. It was everything else that he didn't do.

Merle knew that taking this leap with her was risky. She was young, and that would mean that she was apt to expect more from him once they had sex. He wanted to make it clear to her that he wasn't that man who was going to give her more, but he didn't want her fleeing from him again either. A part of him could understand her wanting something special for her first time. He might be an asshole, but he could be reasonable on a good day. They needed to get some things straight before anything was done at all.

The sound of the door creaking open from down below had him tensing up and his dick grew hard. He clenched his jaw at the fact that he hadn't even seen her and yet he was already aching for her. He heard her footsteps on the stairs, but he remained facing towards the prison yard from the railing. He took a few moments to steel himself and then he turned. Her image hit him like a sucker punch to the gut. Any thoughts of willing his erection to go down went out the window.

She had taken her hair down and all of her blonde hair had fallen down to her shoulders in a silky cascade. She was wearing a black tank top and shorts that left little to the imagination. His eyes crested up and down her body, committing her image to memory. She stepped forward a little shyly and twisted a strand of her hair with her fingers.

He was going to explode. He had to get his shit together so that he could tell her what he needed to say and if she left him again then it would be the last time. He would forget it once because she was young, but not twice.

He motioned for her to step out to the rail, "Com'ere, I need ta talk ta ya."

Her eyes widened, but she obeyed him and walked out to the railing to stand next to him. He turned back to the night, his eyes doing another scan as his brain searched for the words to begin. "I need ya ta understand some thangs before we do this. First, if we do this, ain't gonna be no backing out. We either do it, or we don't, but if ya run, that's tha end," She started to speak, but he held up a finger to quiet her. "Second, I understand ya need for this ta be special an' I'm gonna make it good for ya, but I need ya ta know that I ain't lookin' for no relationship. I ain't built for that darlin'. If'n ya wanna keep meetin' then that's fine, but don't expect much from me." He finished speaking and waited for her reaction.

* * *

Beth mulled over Merle's words to her slowly. She could feel the tension radiating off of him in waves. She appreciated the fact that he had come right out and laid everything out on the line beforehand. Now the ball was in her court again, and she was just as torn as ever.

She knew she wanted him. She wanted him more than anything that she thought she had ever wanted in her life. Her virginity was the one thing she had left to hold onto in this world, the one thing that was still her choice for the moment. Once it was gone then she would never have it back. However, she also understood that things didn't mean the same in the world as they once had. Sometimes you had to seize the opportunity and take what you could get.

She understood Merle's words clearly. If she left him this time, then she would never get this chance with him again. He would close himself off from her and she would never see this side of him ever. She let out a breath and looked over at the blanket and softly lit lantern that he had placed out. The light softened his hardened features. There was something about the moment, some kind of magic that made it seem surreal almost. She wasn't sure if it was because of the sexual tension between them or if it was something else. She wanted him, plain and simple.

She turned to face him and slowly nodded, her wide eyes drifting up to meet his in the barely lit room, "Okay," She breathed.

Merle let out a deep breath and she saw some of the tension leave his body. It was then she realized that he had been taking a risk too. He may have said not to expect much from him, but the fact that he had even taken the time to talk to her and let her think it through, spoke volumes.

Yes, Merle Dixon was exactly what she wanted.

* * *

Merle let out a deep breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding when she agreed to his conditions. He lifted his hand and placed it on the small of her back, guiding her further into the room until she was standing by the blanket. Staring down into her eyes, he ran his fingers through her hair and gave a gentle tug until her head fell back, revealing the creamy pale skin of her neck. He lowered his head slowly enjoying the way her pulse jumped there as her breathing deepened. He closed his mouth over her jumping pulse and ran his tongue across it, making her shiver. His lips quirked and he sucked softly before baring his teeth and nipping at her skin.

He wrapped his stump around her back as she wobbled unsteadily on her feet, "Ya alright?" He asked gruffly even though he knew the answer.

She nodded in reply, her eyes glazed with wanting. Lowering his head he snagged her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked gently, making her moan. The sound vibrated through his body and he covered her mouth with his a little harsher than he had intended. His tongue snaked into her mouth and he swirled it with hers until they both had to pause for air. He could feel her shaking in his arms and he knew that she was so far gone into her lust that she wasn't coming back. If he took her now he would find her already soaked, but he still continued his assault. She would remember later and he was going to give her one hell of a memory.

* * *

Beth struggled to regain control of her shaking body. She had kissed Merle before but never like that. He was moving so painstakingly slow and seductive that she was lost in a sea of sensation. He stepped back from her, keeping close enough that he could grab her if she started to wobble, "Take yer clothes off for me," He ordered softly.

She swallowed deeply and then reached for the hem of her shirt, pulling it slowly over her head. She had worn the best bra that she had, but even so it still wasn't anything special. She blushed under his intense stare, "It's the nicest thing I have," She whispered shyly.

Merle growled low in his throat, "Finish," He said through clenched teeth.

She nodded and hooked her thumbs into the waist of her cotton shorts, pulling them down her legs and tossing them to the side with her shirt. She was left standing there in her bra and panties, but when she reached behind her to unhook her bra he held up his hand to stop her.

"Wait," He said. His eyes were dark and searing as they roved over her. She closed her eyes and could still feel the heat of his gaze on her body. It was several minutes before he spoke again, "Finish," He said again.

She reached behind her once more and unhooked her bra before sliding it off her arms and dropping it with the others. Her nipples puckered in the slightly cool night air, but she wasn't cold at all. Her skin felt like it was on fire. She hooked her thumbs in her best cotton panties and she could feel the wetness from her as she slid them down her legs to join the pile. Finally she stood before him, naked and a little nervous.

This was the first time she had _ever_ stripped in front of a man. No man had ever seen her naked before except for Merle now. Even Jimmy had never gotten more than a feel of her breasts through her shirt once. She expected to feel embarrassed of her nudity, but the heat in his eyes only made her more wet. She felt wanted and very attractive in that moment. His hand lifted the hem of his tank and he pulled it up and over his head in one swoop, tossing it over his shoulder to land somewhere across the room. His gaze intent on hers, he grabbed his belt and unbuckled it swiftly considering he was one-handed. He pulled it through the loops and it dropped to the floor with a thump. She watched, completely transfixed, as his hand worked the button on his jeans and then the zipper. He pushed down on the jeans.

She wasn't sure what compelled her to move, but she dropped to her knees before him and tugged his jeans the rest of the way off. His hand brushed her cheek and she thought she felt him shake slightly, but then it was gone just as quick as it happened. She looked up, intending to reach for his boxers, but realized that he wasn't wearing any. Her face flamed as she found herself facing his erection. She studied it in fascination and saw a drop of a milky looking substance spill from the tip. She reached out then and grabbed it, remembering how it felt to hold him earlier. He let out a noise that was somewhere between a growl and a groan as her fingers wrapped around him. He was bigger than she expected, but she didn't know if that was normal considering his was the first she had ever seen. She knew that some men were bigger than others, and she thought that Merle surely had to be one of those men. She grew nervous at the thought of him being inside of her.

He reached out and grabbed her arm, gesturing to the blanket, "Make yerself comfortable sugah'," He said.

She sat down on the blanket and then wiggled herself into the middle of it. She looked up at him in anticipation and he was staring at her again. A slow flush of heat started at her head and ran down to her toes. He lay down next to her and slowly trailed his hand down between her breasts, past her belly button, and through the mound of curls between her thighs. Her hips bucked upward as his fingers grazed the heat of her, "Merle," She whimpered.

"Shh..Gonna get ya there darlin'. Jus' relax," He said.

She let out a deep breath and tried to focus on the sensation of his hand trailing up and down her skin. He rolled her nipple gently between his thumb and finger and she let out a low moan that had her grasping at the blanket. He bent his head and took her nipple into his mouth, rolling his tongue around it and sucking on it gently. She felt his fingers drift over her curls, but he distracted her by leaning over and taking her other nipple into his mouth. When his finger dipped into her folds, she clutched at his broad shoulders and he let out a curse.

"Fuck me, yer soaked," He mumbled.

He dipped his finger in further and stroked, sending delicious shivers through her. He slid his finger in and out and then he stroked a spot that made her gasp and cry out. He covered her mouth with his own, muffling her cries. She spread her legs beneath his hand, wanting more of what he was offering. He added another finger inside of her, all the while continuing to stroke that special place. She could feel her thighs quivering and she closed her eyes.

"No. Open yer eyes. I wanna see ya when ya cum," He ordered.

She struggled to open her eyes, her breaths coming out in short pants. Her eyes locked on his and she began to moan as delicious waves of pleasure rocked through her. She could feel herself pulsing and his eyes darkened as she rode out her orgasm. He slowly withdrew his fingers and sucked her juices from them as she watched. He winked at her and then turned to grab something. She heard him digging through his clothing and then he turned back with a condom in his hand. He ripped the packet with his teeth and slid it on one-handed. He lifted himself up and over her and she involuntarily tensed beneath him.

"Easy," He coaxed softly. "I'm gonna take it nice an' slow. Ain't s'posed ta hurt but a minute an' then it's gone," He said.

She nodded and he leaned forward to kiss her. He lazily stroked her mouth with his tongue until she began to feel herself responding to him again. She could feel the length and heat of him pressing against her as he moved to suckle her neck lightly. She twined her arms around his neck and felt his muscles bunch and shift beneath her. She felt the familiar heat begin again and she bucked beneath him. He pulled back and then she felt the tip of him probe her entrance. He once again distracted her with his hand and it briefly crossed her mind that even one-handed he was a force to be reckoned with. He pushed in deeper and paused, letting her get adjusted to him. She relaxed a bit underneath him and he kissed her again, but with more force this time. She was so distracted by his lips that she didn't have time to tense as he pushed himself the rest of the way inside of her. She felt the small nip of pain and he thrust into her a couple of times before the discomfort started to ease and then there was nothing but pleasure. He released her mouth and braced himself on his arm so that he could use his hand and lift her thigh, changing the angle of his thrusts. She moaned his name as she found herself building up that sweet heat again.

He bent his head and took her earlobe between his teeth, giving it a gentle tug, "So fuckin' sweet," He murmured. "Give it to me darlin'. I wanna hear ya _scream_." His words were the trigger that she needed and he muffled her with his lips again as she cried out loudly, her hips bucking beneath his as her orgasm rolled through her. He thrust several more times and she watched as he bit his lip and with a growl, he found his own release.

He eased out of her and rolled onto his side, panting heavily. She pushed several strands of hair from her face and noticed that they were both covered in a fine sheen of sweat. She tried to will her pounding heart to slow down, but she was still riding on the high of just having sex for the very first time. He sat up and slid off the condom, stuffing it back into the packet. He turned to her to speak and she started to smile up at him when they heard a loud boom and the guard tower shook softly beneath them.

Merle was on his feet in an instant, shoving his clothes on as fast as he could with one hand. He was dressed before her and strapping his blade onto his arm by the time she got her clothes on. He started down the stairs and she tried to follow, but he whirled on her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Stay here," He ordered.

"But Merle,-"

"Stay yer ass here. I'm gonna check it out an' then I'll be right back. I will tan yer hide if yer not here when I get back, ya understand?" He asked coldly.

She gulped, her eyes growing watery with tears. She wanted to go with him. She wasn't supposed to be labeled as a kid anymore, most especially not by him. She felt like he was telling her she wasn't good enough to go out there though and it hurt her. He didn't wait for her response as he exited the door at the bottom of the stairs and she was left standing in the dark stairwell alone.

* * *

**So...ya hate me don't ya? Go ahead, I can take it. I couldn't just let them have sex for the first time and _nothing_ happen. But don't sweat it, we'll get through it together and what about that hot smut y'all? That's got to count for something! ;) **

**Review me.**

**Please.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey y'all! I'm late again with an update, but today has been CRAZY! I wasn't anticipating everything that I had to get done today, but boy was I busy! Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll have an update for the other fic tonight, but I'll try. I wanted to get to this one first though because of the way that I left it! I hate leaving it hanging like that for so long! I'm so sorry y'all! Anyway, I hope this isn't too bad...like usual, my mind took me on a slightly different path than the one I had originally planned...**

**Please excuse any errors, I was in a rush to get this one done and the thoughts wouldn't slow down long enough for my fingers to catch up!**

* * *

As Merle exited the guard shack to try and figure out what in the hell was going on, he was greeted with a sight that made his blood run cold. Half of the fence was blown up, pieces of twisted metal lying all over the prison yard. Dozens of walkers were pouring through the fences and it was then that Merle knew this had been a planned attack on the prison by yours truly: the Governor.

He turned towards the prison to find his brother and the other members of the group running in his direction. He walked over to Rick and Daryl swiftly. He didn't know where this bastard was or if he was even still there waiting in the shadows.

"What the hell was that?" Rick hissed. His eyes darted around in the dark as he tried to take stock of everything.

"There's a big portion of tha fence that's been blow ta pieces. We got bigger problems though. There's dozens o' walkers pourin' inside o' these fences as we speak. The only fence we got left ain't gon' hold fer shit once they pile up against it," Merle said.

"Fuck!" Daryl whispered. He motioned to the others. "Get tha kid's inside with Hershel! We need everyone else out here armed an' ready!" Daryl shouted.

The group dispersed quickly, each of them headed in a different direction to either scope out the area or to arm themselves. Rick was running a hand through his hair worriedly.

"Has anyone seen Beth?" Maggie called out, her voice sounding strained and worried.

Merle clenched his teeth, suddenly remembering where she was and the fact that there would be questions later about why she had been up there with him while he was on watch. He cursed inwardly and sighed, "She's safe. She's in tha guard tower," He called out.

Maggie let out a relieved breath and then paused as she contemplated that for a moment. Luckily for him, there was so much to be done that she didn't have time to dwell on it too much because Glenn came running up to her. They headed off towards the prison, their heads bent close together as they talked.

"We need ta get some stuff up against these fences. Last thing we need ta worry 'bout is walkers gettin' inside here. That happens an' we're fucked," Merle said to Rick.

Rick nodded, agreeing with him for once, "Yeah, you're right. Let's grab some of these pallets around the side. I think there's some cement blocks and loose bricks over here too," He said.

Merle and Daryl started to follow Rick around the side of the building when a flash of light and a much louder boom had them diving to the ground for cover. Merle felt the ground shake beneath him and he turned quickly to survey the damage. They had lost part of the fence that immediately surrounded the prison, the only thing left between them and the walkers.

"Holy _shit_," Rick cursed from behind them.

Daryl took off running around them and knifed a walker that had ambled a bit too closely to the damage, trying to make its way inside. "We gotta move it to tha inside. There's too damn many of 'em ta take in tha dark!" Daryl shouted out.

Merle's thoughts immediately drifted back to Beth who was still thankfully in the guard tower. He made his way through the rubble and paused when the door wouldn't open. He frowned and shoved his shoulder against it. It gave a little and he felt something heavy just behind it. His whole body tensed as he smelled smoke drifting down the stairs.

Maggie ran over behind him, "Is Beth still up there? I see smoke!" She yelled.

Merle pounded on the door, "Darlin'! Ya in there?" He yelled.

Behind him, he could hear the others taking down walkers, but he kept all of his attention on the door and the girl that was still behind it somewhere.

"Keep trying! I'll cover you!" Maggie shouted.

Merle nodded and swallowed, his blood laced with something akin to fear. He let out a sigh of relief as he finally heard her footsteps coming down the stairs. She was coughing and Merle was relieved that she was alive.

"Merle?" She called through the door weakly.

_God, her voice cut him like a knife to the heart. _She sounded so weak and slightly desperate that he found himself slamming his shoulder against the door even harder to get at her. He dug his boots into the concrete underneath him for traction and grunted as he put all his weight into getting the door open. Whatever was stuck behind it was jammed good though because it barely budged.

"Darlin' I need ya ta help me get tha door open so I can get ta ya, alright? Are ya hurt?" He asked through the door.

She let out a muffled sob, "I got burned," She said.

Merle sucked in a deep breath and tried to control the panic he was feeling at the moment. He leaned against the door, acutely aware of the sense of urgency and the fighting going on around him.

"What's blockin' tha door darlin'? Can ya see?" He asked.

He heard her shuffling around and she started coughing, "I can't see. Too much smoke," She coughed again.

Merle cursed, "Step back from tha door darlin', I'm gonna shoot it," He called through the door.

He listened until he heard her call out, "Okay."

He pulled his gun from his pocket and aimed at the door. He was no longer worried about making any noise to attract walkers. There were so many around already and so much noise that his shots wouldn't make a difference.

"Hurry up! We've gotta get inside!" Maggie yelled over her shoulder at him as she knifed a walker in the head.

He fired off three rapid shots and then cursed. He quickly looked around and spotted Rick with a shotgun. He ran over to the man and before Rick could even ask what he was doing, Merle traded guns with him. He ran back over to the door and shot two times, knocking a big gaping hole in the wood. He reached his hand through the hole for her.

"Take my hand!" He yelled.

She was coughing again and Merle was worried about smoke inhalation on top of the burns she said she had suffered. He waited impatiently until he finally felt her place her small hand in his and he pulled her through the hole. He paused once he had her out and grabbed the gun where he had leaned it by the door and held it in place with the crook of his elbow. She was still coughing deeply and he motioned for Maggie as he took off towards the prison.

* * *

Beth's eyes fluttered open and she glanced around wildly. She recognized that she was in her bunk on the inside of the prison. She tried to take a breath, but she couldn't quite catch enough air and she started coughing.

Hershel came hobbling in through the doorway and sat himself beside her on the bed. He reached for something on the table and held it out to her.

"Here sweetheart. Take a puff of this inhaler. It will help with the coughing," He said softly.

He rubbed her back as she grabbed the inhaler and pressed the trigger to release the short burst of air. She took several puffs from it and slowly she relaxed, falling back against the pillows.

"Daddy," Her voice came out horribly scratched and hoarse.

Hershel gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand before pressing a kiss to her fingers, "You're suffering from a little smoke inhalation Bethie. You've also got a second degree burn on your left side," He explained.

She moved her hands underneath the blankets that covered her until her fingertips felt the edge of the bandage that had been placed there. She closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to spill over. She felt her Daddy's hand on her cheek and she leaned into it, seeking comfort from his touch. Then she remembered the explosions and the walkers.

"Where are the others?" She winced as her voice came out more hoarsely than the first time.

"They're outside trying to reinforce the fence and clean up the bodies," He replied. She glanced around with a confused look and he went on to explain, "It's morning. I had to give you something to help you sleep through the night, honey. We've managed to clear out the walkers from the immediate area and we think the Governor might have left, but at least we didn't lose anyone," He said.

She let out a sigh of relief. Merle was still alive. She clutched her Daddy's hand to her chest and fought to get her emotions under control. The sound of a deep masculine voice clearing his throat made her eyes fly open and she sat up so quickly that she yelped in pain as the skin under her bandage pulled. She felt his hand on her almost immediately and he shushed her as he helped her to lie back down gently. His touch was warm and strangely comforting.

She took several deep breaths before her eyes opened and locked onto his. He looked thoroughly exhausted and stressed. She wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know how. She glanced over at her Daddy curiously. Something was different between them. She didn't sense any of the normal tension from before and she wondered what had changed.

Hershel pressed another kiss to her fingers and stood up, grabbing his crutches from the spot he had left them, "I'll let you two visit a bit," He turned to Merle. "Keep in mind that she need not talk much. Her voice is hoarse and we need to give her time to heal."

Merle nodded at Hershel and she watched in awe as her Daddy placed his hand upon Merle's shoulder briefly before heading out. When they were alone, Merle took Hershel's place on the bed and stared down at the floor. She ran her hand down his arm and tugged on his hand to pull it into her lap. She threaded her fingers through his and he finally turned to look down at their hands that were joined together. She expected him to pull away, but he didn't. She didn't know if it was because he didn't want to or because he felt sorry for her. Either way she would take it and they could figure it out later.

He let out a deep sigh, "It's my fuckin' fault yer lyin' in this damn bed," He said. She started to speak but he took his hand from hers and placed his finger to her lips, silencing her, "No. Ya don't get ta talk til' ya better." He leaned his head down and stared intently at the floor.

She placed her hand on his shoulder, wanting to touch him. He was so close, yet it seemed he was a million miles away from her at the moment. He didn't seem like his normal self and she wasn't sure if that was stemming from their obvious long night or something else. He stood up, his back to her. She could see the tension in his shoulders and back from where she lay and her heart ached for him.

"Well I jus' wanted ta see how ya were. I gotta get back out there..." He let his voice trail off.

"Stay," She flinched. She couldn't get used to how awful her voice sounded.

He didn't turn, but she could tell by the way he jerked slightly that he had heard her. He moved towards the door and then paused at the doorway, "I'll get Hershel fer ya," He said quietly and then he left the room, almost as quickly as he had entered.

She hugged her pillow to her and let the tears fall freely from her eyes then. The tears were soothing on her dry eyes and she welcomed the relief. Unfortunately that led to a coughing fit and she had to make a desperate grab for the inhaler, taking several more puffs to get herself under control again.

Maybe she was imagining things but it had seemed like Merle was saying goodbye to her. He had seemed so mellow and he hadn't even said much to her. She had been hoping for a kiss on the cheek or _something_, but she hadn't gotten anything. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes with the edge of her blanket. If Merle Dixon thought that he was going to just brush her off after all of that, then he had another thing coming.

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**Your reviews ROCK! Keep them coming! (Don't hate me) ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry this took so long to come out today y'all! Another busy day and time kept getting carried away from me, not to mention the fact I was constantly interrupted! Hate that! Anyways, the first part of this fic skips backward just a bit so that you see the last scene between Beth and Merle through Merle's eyes to get a better feel for what's going through his mind right now. I hope you enjoy!**

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It had been a hell of a night and Merle was tired. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so drained of all of his energy. Everyone who had been able had taken on a task of some kind and they were all showing signs of exhaustion by morning. No one had actually _seen_ the Governor the whole night, but they all knew who had launched the attack on the prison. Merle figured it was likely that the bastard had gone back to Woodbury, but he knew that that wouldn't be the last time they heard from him.

After he had carried Beth inside the prison to Hershel, he hadn't been able to stay with her. He, Daryl, and Rick had gone up to the walkway that crossed between the two buildings and silently picked off the walkers in the darkness while Morgan, Glenn, and Michonne had worked to cover the holes in the fence so that no fresh walkers came through. One of the best things about finding Morgan had been the amount of weapons that he had provided them. The man had several guns equipped with silencers as well as night vision scopes that had allowed them to see and pick off walkers one by one.

It had been a long night and by the time daylight had begun to break they had bodies of walkers scattered all over the concrete courtyard, but at least no one had died. The guard tower had burned for the better part of the night until they were left with nothing more than a smoldering pile of rubble and ash. The others began helping to move the bodies and prepare them to burn when he headed inside to check on her condition. Hershel was sitting at one of the tables when he walked in and the old man gestured to him to have a seat.

Merle shook his head no, "I sit down an' I ain't gettin' back up. I jus' come ta see how she was doin'." Merle had a feeling he knew what was on the old man's mind. Now that the man had had time to think about it, he would know exactly why Beth had been up in the tower alone with him. For some reason, that didn't sit well on his stomach.

Hershel sat down on one of the benches and laid his crutches next to him, "The burn is not as serious as it could have been, but the smoke inhalation could have been fatal. Thankfully I don't think she breathed in enough smoke to cause severe damage, though she will have a cough for a while," Hershel paused and then sighed. "I wanted to thank you Merle."

Merle frowned, "Thank me fer w_hat_?" He asked. Surely the man wasn't thinking him for taking his daughter's virginity, but Merle was way too tired to try and figure out what was going through the man's mind.

"For saving my daughter's life. If it wasn't for your persistence, then we might have lost her. It could have been much worse, but you saved her just in time. Thank you," Hershel said.

Merle had stood there dumbfounded for several moments while Hershel had clapped him on the shoulder and left the room to go check on Beth. He really wasn't comfortable being made out to be some kind of hero. That wasn't who he was and he didn't know how to play that role. He would much rather go back to being the asshole that everyone hated and ignored. That was a role he knew better than anything. It was who he _was_.

He sighed and made his way down past the cells where everyone had settled down into their bunks and several people could be heard snoring softly. He paused as he came upon her cell and he could hear her coughing inside. The sound tore inside of him and he stepped just to the doorway silently, watching as she lay with her eyes closed and clutched her pillow to her chest. He cleared his throat and her eyes flew open. When she sat up quickly and winced he found himself hurrying across the room to help her ease back down onto the bed. Her green eyes fluttered open and locked onto his and he stared at her intently before Hershel stood, breaking the silence.

"I'll let you two visit a bit. Keep in mind that her voice is hoarse and we need to give her time to heal," Hershel laid his hand on his shoulder firmly and Merle nodded at him.

Once Hershel was gone Merle sat down on the edge of the bed and she grabbed his hand and tugged it into her lap. He glanced at her, but he let her hold his hand momentarily. For some strange reason it was comforting to him, but he wouldn't ever admit it.

He let out a deep sigh, "It's my fuckin' fault yer lyin' in this damn bed," He said. She started to speak but he took his hand from hers and placed his finger to her lips, silencing her, "No. Ya don't get ta talk til' ya better." He leaned his head down and stared intently at the floor.

She placed her hand upon his shoulder and he tensed. He stood up to clear his mind. He couldn't think with a clear head when she was touching him and he couldn't even look at her knowing that she would look hurt. It was easier not to care if he kept himself distant.

"Well I jus' wanted ta see how ya were. I gotta get back out there..." He let his voice trail off.

"Stay," She flinched.

He saw her flinch and he knew she was in pain. He hated like hell that he had been so stupid as to fuck things up like he had. If he hadn't been so damn horny she wouldn't be in this mess. She would have been tucked safe inside of the prison somewhere when the chaos had started. She had been the only one injured and it had been because of his command to stay inside that had caused it. He moved towards the door and then paused at the doorway, "I'll get Hershel fer ya," He said quietly and then he left the room quickly. He couldn't take one more second of being in the room and hearing her ragged voice and knowing that she was suffering.

* * *

When Merle finally got to bed and was able to sleep, he didn't wake up until sometime in the middle of the night. He had slept through dinner and now he was starving. He reached for his pants and shirt and quickly dressed before heading down the steps. His brother wasn't in his room so Merle assumed he was either hungry as well or on watch.

As he reached the bottom of the steps, he didn't even glance into her room. He didn't want to be tempted to go inside. All was quiet as he entered the kitchen area and he rummaged through the stash of food until he found a few sticks of dried jerky and a can of fruit cocktail. He opened up the can and sat down heavily at the table to eat.

He was still slightly groggy from sleep so he didn't see her as she entered the room, but he did hear her and his eyes snapped up to meet hers. He didn't say anything to her, but he could feel her looking at him. He kept eating and she crossed over to sit across from him at the table.

"Are you mad with me?" She asked hoarsely.

He gave her a glare, "Ya ain't s'posed ta be talkin'. Shouldn't ya be in bed restin'?" He asked.

Her hand drifted to her side where the burn was located, "Hurts," She whispered.

"They ain't give ya nothin' fer pain?" He finished off the can of fruit and bit into the jerky viciously.

She shook her head, "Cream," She replied.

"Hmph," He replied.

They sat in silence for several minutes and he didn't know what he should be saying to her. She seemed to be waiting for something, but he had already explained to her not to expect anything and she had agreed so he didn't know what she could be waiting for. She stood up and he glanced up at her. He watched as she crossed over to where they kept the drinks and tried to bend over to pick up a water. He shook his head and got up and reached into the package for the water. She smiled slightly at him, but he could tell that she was in pain.

He clenched his teeth, "Take yer ass ta bed an' get some rest! Ya shouldn't be up!" He spoke a little more harshly than he had intended. He saw her flinch and then she simply nodded before turning around and leaving the room.

He sighed and stuck the last bit of jerky in his mouth. He wasn't even hungry anymore, at least _not_ for food anyway. He felt very conflicted in that moment and he banged his fist onto the top of one of the tables loudly, causing it to echo throughout the room. He walked down the hallway passed the cells where the others were still soundly sleeping and made the mistake of looking towards her cell as he placed his foot on the bottom step of the stairs.

The blankets that they had strung across the bars did little to conceal everything and he could see that she was sitting on her bunk without a shirt, her back facing towards him. He backed away from the steps silently and walked closer to her cell. He could see that her hands were trembling as she pried at the corner of the bandage. Every organ in his body was screaming at him to walk away, but his feet weren't cooperating at all. He was frozen in place and he held his breath as she began to pull at the bandage. She stopped before finishing however and he could see her shoulders shake softly.

She was crying. He immediately turned on his heel, giving little regard to being silent anymore and stalked out into the night air. He wanted to hit something, _needed _to unleash his emotions on something.

"Everythin' all right in there?" Daryl's voice rang out from behind him.

Merle whirled around, his whole body coiled like a spring, "That yer way o' askin' me if I fucked somethin' else up brotha?" He sneered.

Daryl frowned at him, "Fuck you Merle. Jus' askin' a fuckin' question," He replied.

"Well ya got ya fuckin' answer didn'tcha?"

Daryl studied him carefully, "Ya tryin' ta pick a fight?" He asked.

Merle smiled coldly. He was purposefully pushing his brother, wanting to get a rise from him, "With you? Wouldn't be much of a fight, now would it brotha?" Daryl's jaw tightened and Merle saw that he was on the right track so he decided to push a little more, "Ya might need ta go get ya dick back from Officer Friendly in there 'fore ya go try'na hit me."

That was the push that sent Daryl over the edge. Merle was expecting it and still never saw it coming. Daryl's fist connected with his jaw and a kaleidoscope of color clouded his vision. Merle smiled as he brought back his fist and in turn slammed it into Daryl's gut, causing him to double over slightly. Daryl charged him and then they tumbled to the ground, punching and kicking each other.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Rick's voice cut through them both as he worked his way between them to break them apart. Merle swiped at the blood around his mouth as Daryl lay back on his hands. They were both panting heavily, but they were both smiling as well. Rick stared between them incredulously, "I don't even _want_ to know why you are both smiling right now," He said.

"We were jus' havin' a lil' discussion officer," Merle drawled. He was feeling much improved now that he had been able to work off a little steam.

Daryl smirked at him and then nodded at Rick, "We're cool Rick. Sorry 'bout that," He said.

Rick stared at them for a few minutes and then slowly nodded, "Alright," He turned to Daryl. "I'm trusting you that this is over when I walk away. With the attack last night, we can't afford to be off our guard," He said firmly.

Daryl nodded, "Got it." Merle crossed his arms and smirked at his brother. Rick turned to leave and Daryl kicked at him with his boot. "What tha hell Merle?" He asked.

Merle shrugged, "Jus' needed ta work off some steam. Was gonna take it out on that wall over there, but then ya had ta go buttin' in an' all," He replied.

They both stood up and Daryl swiped at his face with the edge of his shirt, "Work off steam fer what?"

Merle stared out into the darkness, "Jus' got lots o' things on my mind lil' brotha. Lots o' things," He repeated softly.

He failed to mention that the "things" all essentially belonged to one person who had long, golden blonde, hair.

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**What do you think? :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey y'all! Sorry this didn't get out last night! It got late and I battled a little with how I wanted this one to go down and this morning I finally managed to finish it. Sorry about that! Y'all have been awesome and I wanted to thank everyone for their patience and support! I love that so many of you can't wait for the next chapters to this! Makes me feel like I'm doing something right! Anyway, I hope ya like it and please leave a me a little something if you read, it helps! Thanks! :)**

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Beth's fingers skirted over the edge of her bandage for the thousandth time. It had been three days since the attack and Merle had been avoiding her ever since. She was confined to the inside of the prison for the most part because her daddy didn't want her going outside until she was better. She still hadn't even seen her burn, but Maggie had and she kept insisting that it wasn't as bad as Beth thought.

It was going to leave a scar though and Beth was pretty upset about it. She figured that might be one of the reasons that Merle was staying away from her. He didn't want to look at her scar because it disgusted him. She tried her hardest to be around him the first two days, but he was quick and she barely managed a glimpse of him a time or two. By the third day she just gave up trying. If he was that determined then she wasn't going to keep putting herself out there and making a fool of herself.

He had used her. They had had sex one time and now he didn't want her anymore. She must have been worse at it than she had thought. Even before they had had sex, Merle hadn't been able to stay away from her when he had tried. So the only explanation her mind could come up with was that she hadn't been good enough for his tastes. He however, had been wonderful and she relived that moment between them over and over in her mind.

She stood next to Judith's crib looking down at the sleeping baby. Everyone else was outside and she had volunteered to watch the little girl while the others worked together to clean and fortify the prison. Now that they knew the Governor had explosives Morgan was working with the others to come up with a different plan for them.

Judith sighed in her sleep and Beth smiled down at her. Her back was giving her a fit, but she kept it to herself because she didn't want to worry anyone. The cream wasn't helping and she was so disgusted with the whole thing. She didn't want to look at it and she didn't want anyone touching it. She had been lying to her daddy, Maggie, and Carol. Whenever they asked her if it needed changing, she had been telling them that someone else had already helped her change it. They hadn't even questioned her about it and she was relieved. She didn't want the others touching it and looking at it.

So far no one had brought up the topic of why she had been outside in the guard tower with Merle. She knew her sister wanted to ask her about it, but she remained quiet instead. Her daddy didn't say much either, but it was clear that something had changed between he and Merle. He didn't look at the man as harshly and she was glad about that even if Merle wouldn't look at her at all.

Glancing around to make sure that no one was nearby, she lifted up the hem of her shirt and ran her fingers around the edge of the bandage again. She winced at the pain there and bit down on her lip. She gasped as Rick came through the doorway. He stopped short upon seeing her, "Oh, uh, sorry I didn't know anyone was in here..." His voice trailed off as his eyes narrowed on her bandage and she scrambled to get her shirt back down. Frowning, he walked over to where she stood, "Beth that looks really red. When's the last time you changed that?" He asked.

She looked down at the floor and bit her lip again. She didn't want to lie to Rick when he was staring at her like he already knew, but she also didn't want everyone worrying about her.

"It's fine. Daddy checked it this morning," She lied.

Rick studied her with the look that he got whenever he didn't really believe what he was hearing, "Maybe I should get him to check it again," He suggested.

Beth shook her head, "No! I mean...it's fine," She pulled her shirt up just over the bandage again to show him. "Nothing to worry about," She said.

Rick peered down at the bandage and she felt his fingers along the edges of it. She hissed in a breath and had to grab onto Judith's crib to keep from falling over from a dizzy spell. "I think this is infected," Rick murmured. "I'm just going to peel it back a little more. Hold your shirt up for just a few minutes longer," He told her.

She nodded and held her breath as he began peeling back the bandage. She closed her eyes and swallowed down an urge to vomit.

"What tha hell is goin' on in here?" Merle's deathly quiet voice rang out inside of the cell making her eyes fly open and causing Rick to remove his hands from her.

Merle's eyes skirted over her for brief moments before focusing their deadly intensity onto Rick. Rick sighed, "I'm trying to look at her wound."

Merle scoffed, "Looks ta me like yer tryin' ta look at more 'an that," He said icily.

Rick's eyes narrowed and he took a step away from Beth in Merle's direction. Merle's expression changed to one of dangerous intent and Beth scrambled for something to say.

"I don't think she's been getting the bandage changed like she's supposed to. It looks like it's becoming infected. Whatever else you think might be going on here isn't," Rick said firmly.

She watched as Merle processed that information, but his image began to blur slightly. She blinked several times and then she stepped backwards, accidentally brushing her burn against the side of the crib. She moaned and swayed on her feet.

"Goddammit!" She heard Merle hiss and then she fell forward into his solid chest. He managed to scoop her up into his arms with his prosthetic and she felt herself being carried out of the cell.

"I'll get Hershel!" She heard Rick call out.

She whimpered when he set her down on what she assumed was her bed. Her shirt was lifted and then he hissed, "Dammit girlie'! Ya gotta take care o' yerself!" He fussed.

She opened her eyes a little as the room slowly began to quit spinning. He was looming over her, his expression a mixture of seriousness and anger. "What do you care?" Her voice still came out scratchy, but it was getting better every day.

He blinked and then seemed to ignore the question as he rolled her over onto her side and began working at the bandage. She instantly tensed, not wanting him to see her burn.

"No! No Merle! Don't touch it please!" She thrashed around and it hurt really bad but she was determined that he not see it.

He stopped and grew quiet, but she knew he was still there. She felt hot tears sliding down her face and she was glad that she was facing the wall so that he couldn't see.

"Christ darlin', ya can't be doin' this," He said softly.

She didn't reply and several seconds later the sound of footsteps could be heard coming down the hall as well as the telltale sign of her daddy's crutches.

"Bethie?" Hershel asked as he entered the room. She didn't reply and she felt Merle rise and then her daddy's hand on her shoulder.

He peeled the bandage back and then she heard him quietly suck in his breath, "It's infected. Sweetheart, who's been changing your bandage?" He asked.

She wiped at her eyes with her hands, "No one," She finally whispered.

She peered over her shoulder long enough to catch Merle's murderous expression and their eyes locked for several seconds before he left the room, his boots echoing down the hallway.

She cried out as the rest of the bandage was removed and it pulled at her sensitive skin a little. There was a loud crash and then an even louder curse that could only belong to one person in the prison.

Merle was mad.

* * *

"Fuckin' piece o' shit!" Merle kicked a bucket out of his way in the kitchen area and it made a loud clang as it hit the wall.

He wanted to slam into something all over again. The look on the girl's face had damn near gutted him. Then her shattered voice telling him not to look at her burn cut him like a knife. He knew he had been avoiding her, but he hadn't expected her to not take care of herself. He stalked around the room, muttering to himself as he waited. He wanted to talk to her again. He needed to know why she had ignored her wound in that way. He had had enough experience in his life to know that the quickest way to cause infection with a burn was not to clean it. Most times if cleaned properly, a burn that wasn't too severe wouldn't get infected. Hers was definitely infected and that would mean they would need antibiotics. He wasn't sure that they had any of those.

When he had walked into that cell and seen Rick with his fingers on her, he hadn't known what to think. His first reaction had been surprise that had quickly changed to anger. He wanted to slam the man into the wall. He and Rick had actually been getting along a little better, but he didn't know where that put them at now.

He rubbed at his prosthetic as he paced the floor. Finally, Hershel and Rick walked into the room and Merle turned to them. Hershel eyed him curiously as did Rick, but they didn't say anything at first.

"Well?" Merle snapped.

"I've cleaned the wound the best I could given what we have on hand. The bandage has been changed and I've given her a small dose of antibiotics we had here, but I'm not sure if it's going to be strong enough to kill the infection. She really needs more antibiotics," Hershel said.

Merle looked at Rick, "I ain't leavin' 'er," He said before the man could ask.

Rick sighed and then nodded, "Fine. I'll get Maggie and Glenn to do a quick run."

Rick glanced at them both and walked out of the room to find the duo. Hershel studied Merle and then gestured towards the cells, "I know you have feelings for my daughter Merle," He said.

Merle's head snapped up and he gazed at Hershel and smirked, "Ain't never had no _feelin's_ for nobody," Merle said.

Hershel just nodded like he had known that Merle was going to say that and it served to further piss Merle off.

"I just want you to know that if you ever _do_ have feelings for her, that I suppose I'm okay with it. You've shown great improvement and what you did for her the night of the fire I'll never forget. I can't promise that Maggie will feel the same though," Hershel chuckled.

Merle sighed, "I'm old an' I ain't no good fer someone like her," He mumbled.

Hershel maneuvered himself closer to Merle and placed his hand on his shoulder, "I used to think long ago that age was very important when it came to who you could love, but now I see it differently. She's a grown woman now and I can tell she feels something for you even though you both are fighting it. If you love my daughter, then please take care of her. That's all I ask. I just want her to find some happiness in this mess of a world and if that happiness is with you, then so be it. I will not stand in her way," Hershel said.

Merle shifted uncomfortably. This wasn't what he had expected at all. Things never worked out like this for him, but here the old man was telling him that it was okay for Merle to want to be with his daughter. It was crazy and Merle pulled back from his grasp and made his way down the hallway towards the cells. He entered her cell and found her sleeping, her plump lips parted slightly as she dozed. He settled himself on the floor against the wall and watched her as she slept.

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**Review?**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey y'all! I have been SO SO busy today and to top it off I'm tired as dirt! I really did not want to post this being that I'm tired, but I wanted to get something out for y'all so I'm posting it anyway. I may not get to my other fic today and I'm sorry to those of you who read that one as well. I already had this one started, so this is the one that got updated. If for some reason I get a little perkier and less busy, then I'll try to update the other, but no promises there. Please forgive me any errors here and if this one is not up to par. I gave it my best effort! :)**

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Beth felt groggy and uncomfortable as she blinked her eyes open to the darkness of the cell. She remembered Merle carrying her in here and then her daddy cleaning her wound. She reached under the covers and felt the now familiar bandage that was there. She wrapped the blankets tighter around her and shivered a little in the darkness. The nights were starting to get a little cooler and the concrete walls did little to ward off the chill.

She was feeling much better than she had earlier in the day, but she didn't know if that was because of the medicine her daddy had given her was masking the pain, or if she was actually improving. Either way she didn't feel too bad. She struggled for a moment and pulled herself into a sitting position.

"Jus' where do ya think yer goin'?" Merle's thick voice spoke from the darkness.

She jumped slightly. She hadn't known anyone was in there with her, "I have to go to the bathroom," She replied.

She heard him moving around and then he switched on her small lantern allowing her to see him standing by the wall, "Let's go," He said.

"I think I can manage just fine on my own," She snapped. She was going to get whiplash from his moods. She didn't want his pity or his guilt.

He shrugged, "Suit yaself."

In two steps he was beside her and he scooped her up with surprising speed. She noticed he wasn't wearing his prosthetic and she could feel his bare arm against her skin instead of the usual plastic and metal. She glared at him in the dimly lit room, but he only ignored her and carried her out of the cell to the hallway that led to the bathrooms.

"I can walk you know. I _do_ still have my legs," She said.

Just as soon as the words left her mouth though, she cringed. She hadn't meant to say something like that to imply that he couldn't do certain things without his hand. His eyes glittered in the moonlight that filtered through the high windows of the prison, but he remained silent. She kept her mouth shut until he set her down outside of the bathrooms.

"Ain't got all night," He said gruffly.

It didn't take her long once inside the bathroom. She hadn't realized how badly she had needed to pee and it was such a relief to her bladder. She exited the bathroom minutes later and sidestepped him as he made a move to pick her up again. He growled and this time instead of carrying her in front of him, he just slung her over his shoulder.

"Merle!" She beat her hands into his back, but he ignored her once again.

"Quit yer yappin'. Ain't gonna do ya no good no way," He muttered.

She hit him once more for good measure but he didn't even flinch. It was like hitting a solid brick wall and it hurt her hand so she stopped. She was so mad at him and her emotions were all over the place. She wanted to be so angry with him, but at the same time her body was betraying her by wanting him. That fact only made her even angrier and by the time he set her back on her feet she was a mess.

"Get yer ass in tha bed," He ordered.

"No." She crossed her arms and fumed.

He narrowed his eyes and scooped her up and into the bed. Except she landed on her burn and she whimpered as the sharp pain cut through her. She couldn't stop the tears that began pouring down her cheeks even if she had wanted to. They stared at each other for several moments and then they heard Carol's voice just outside the cell.

"Beth? I heard noises...Are you okay?" Carol asked softly.

"She's fine," Merle replied tersely before Beth could speak.

Carol hesitated, "Are you sure?"

Merle sighed, "I'll take care of it. Fuck!"

Carol paused and then they finally heard her footsteps as she walked away. Merle sat down next to her on the bed and began taking off his boots. She stared at him through teary eyes as he set them to the side and stood up. He removed his belt and then he reached over to switch off the lantern. She heard him remove his shirt and then he was sliding into her bed beside of her. She scooted over in the bed a little so that they were barely touching but it was impossible to not touch him at all because the bed was so tiny.

"Runnin' away from me now sugah?" His voice teased in the darkness.

She sniffed, "Go away Merle," She stated. She hoped that her voice had sounded more confident than she felt at that moment. She didn't really want him to go away, but her pride wouldn't ask him to stay.

He reached over and pulled her closer, being careful not to touch her bandage. She braced her hands against his chest in an attempt to stop him, but she was distracted by the feel of his warm bare chest. He was quiet as she curled her fingers into the sprinkling of hair that covered his chest. She forgot all about her pain as she lay there in such close proximity to him.

"Yer playin' with fire there girl," His voice was rough when he spoke.

"Why are you here?" She whispered.

She felt the muscles in his chest tense at her question, "Quit yappin' an' get some sleep. Keepin' my eye on ya," He responded.

She sighed. She didn't know why she had expected him to answer her. He wouldn't ever tell her his real feelings. They were destined to continue this back and forth, but she still wanted more. She just wished he would give it to her.

* * *

Merle realized two things when he woke up. The first was that his arm was asleep and the second was that there was blonde hair splayed across his chest. Beth was curled into him, breathing softly as she slept. Her fingers were curled into his chest hair again and every time she shifted, _he_ shifted.

He didn't know why he had climbed into bed with her. Seeing the tears slide down her cheeks had affected him a lot more than he had anticipated. He had felt like an ass for hurting her when he had laid her down on the bed. He supposed that sleeping with her was his way of apologizing. He didn't want to admit to himself that he might be doing it for his own selfish reasons as well.

He didn't do relationships. He had never spent more than one night with any woman _ever_. It had never bothered him either. He hadn't ever given more than two fucks about any of them. Half the time he had been so out of it that he couldn't even remember what had happened afterwards. He stared down at the golden locks of hair that tickled his chest and sighed. He was out of his element with this one and she was quickly working her way under his skin. He had to play his cards carefully here. He knew that he couldn't keep doing this back and forth with her. She wasn't built for that kind of thing.

"Merle!" Daryl's voice hissed from outside of Beth's cell. His brother must have already looked for him and he knew he had been found out. Surprisingly, he didn't give a shit.

Merle raised his head slightly, "What tha fuck ya want?" He called out softly.

"We need ta talk. Now," Daryl said.

"For cryin' out loud! Give me a fuckin' minute," He grumbled.

"Meet me outside in ten," Daryl responded.

"Fine," Merle said back.

He felt Beth stir next to him and she lifted her head to stare up at him sleepily. Her hand inadvertently drifted lower on his stomach as she stretched slightly and he wanted to groan. She stiffened as her cheeks flushed with color and she removed her hand from his chest and tried to scoot away from him. He tightened his arm around her, effectively pinning her in place.

"You stayed," She said. It wasn't a question, but more of a statement and he shrugged in response.

"Need ta change yer bandage," He said.

"I'll get daddy to do it," She said quickly.

He frowned. He suspected that she didn't want him to see it for some reason, "No. We ain't playin' that game no more. Tha shit gets changed _now_," He said.

She shook her head, "No. I promise I'll get daddy to change it."

He stared into her wide eyes and sucked his teeth, "Wanna explain ta me why I ain't allowed ta see it?" He asked. He sighed as he saw those damn tears flood her eyes again. Crying women were not his specialty.

"I just...," She sighed. "It's ugly."

"It's a burn. Ain't s'posed ta be pretty," He said. The tears began to flow a little more freely down her cheeks now and he shifted uncomfortably. "Hell I got plenty o' scars."

She wiped her eyes and looked at him, "I don't remember seeing any scars," She told him.

He shifted in the bed and turned so that his back was to her. He heard her sharp intake of breath seconds before he felt her fingers on his skin tracing his scars. He remembered the shock of finding out that his brother had similar scars except that Daryl's had been much worse. All those years Daryl had kept his scars hidden from Merle and it gutted him to know that his brother had suffered under the hands of their father. He hissed as she pressed her lips to his back gently. He rolled over and faced her again.

Her expression was full of sympathy, "I'm so sorry," She whispered.

"Don't be. They ain't who I am. They part o' my story jus' like this here is part o' yers now," He trailed his fingertips lightly over her bandage and she shivered.

She closed her eyes for several moments and then she bit her lip and nodded, "Do it."

He lifted her shirt with his hand and slowly peeled up the edge of her bandage until the wound was finally revealed to him. It was still red from the infection that had settled in, but he doubted it was as bad as she thought it was. It would scar her though and that thought didn't sit well with him.

"What does it look like?" She whispered softly.

"Looks like ya got burned an' lived ta see anotha day," He replied. "It ain't that bad."

A small smile teased at the corners of her lips, "Promise?"

Her voice was so soft and childlike in that moment that it nearly stole his breath, "Promises don't mean nothin' in this world. Wouldn't lie ta ya," He said.

She nodded slowly, her eyes trusting and focused on his, "Alright."

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**Review me?**


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay. _Night and Day _peeps: I know y'all hate me for updating here and not there, but if you're reading this, please know that I haven't forgotten you. The muse is a little road blocked on that one at the moment. I'm going to try to go and piddle with that one right now, but if it doesn't come out by seven then it's not making it out tonight. SEASON 4 y'all! LOL! Anyway, things are getting a little interesting with our Meth couple so I hope y'all like it! Thanks for the most awesome reviews! Couldn't ask for better reviewers y'all! I'm humbled, truly.**

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One week had passed since Maggie and Glenn had gone on their run for more antibiotics. It had taken them almost all day, but they had finally made it back with several antibiotics that they had found in a house along the way. She had been taking them every day and yesterday her daddy had claimed that the infection seemed to be gone, but they still needed to keep a close eye on it for a bit. The pain had faded, but she still hadn't looked at it. Even though Merle had seen it and declared it not to be that bad, she still didn't know if she wanted to see it. Running her fingers over it last night she had felt the scaly skin and the slight ridges from the burn. She couldn't imagine what it would look like if it felt like that.

The prison itself had been a flurry of activity in the past week. Everyone was always busy doing something to try and make their home more secure. Merle, Daryl, and Morgan frequently traveled just outside the fences to secure various traps that would hopefully allow them to catch the Governor and his men should they return. They had managed to find more fencing and secure the outer field once again. It wasn't as it had been before, but it was better than nothing. Everyone pulled their own weight, even Beth. She was either watching Judith or helping to cook if Carol was busy doing otherwise. There was no shortage of things to be done. She could sense a feeling of tension throughout the group. Ever since the Governor's attack, Rick had placed them all on high alert and none of them were allowed to go anywhere alone unless it was inside the cellblock.

Maggie had changed since Beth had gotten burned. Her sister still talked to her, but they hadn't held a whole conversation since that night. She knew it had something to do with Merle and it hurt her to think that her sister disapproved so strongly. She knew there was still a lot of bad blood between her sister, Glenn, and Merle after Merle had beaten Glenn at Woodbury. Beth had never asked Merle about that although she had wondered about it. The Merle she knew at the prison didn't sound like the Merle that everyone talked about at Woodbury. There had been a change between Rick, Hershel, and Merle. She had begun to notice the subtle shift as Merle was being included into the "inner circle" of the men. Glenn had began to step back from being involved in decisions, choosing instead to remain by Maggie's side and Beth wondered again if that was because of Merle or something else. It annoyed her that her group that she cared so much about couldn't all seem to forgive Merle.

Merle had spent several nights in her cell with her since the first night. He never touched her intimately, but he was there just the same. She was growing attached to him being there at night and the couple of nights that he had night watch, she found herself tossing and turning in her bunk. During the day she never saw him much because he was always with the men trying to help them do whatever needed to be done for the day. He would always make an appearance at dinner though and she had started bringing him his plate. He still ate on the steps in his usual place and she in hers, but he didn't seem quite so distant as before.

Today had been another long day and Beth had been trying to sort through everyone's laundry for her and Carol to tackle tomorrow. She hadn't been at the task for long when Michonne entered the prison swiftly. Beth glanced up at her and paused. It was unusual for Michonne to be in a hurry so Beth was naturally curious as to why the woman was now. She watched Michonne cross over to the cellblock and then she turned back around to face Beth.

"Have you seen Rick?" Michonne asked.

Beth nodded and pointed to the door that led to the tombs, "He and Daryl are back there somewhere working on the generators. I think one of them stopped working or something," She replied. Michonne nodded and began heading over to the door. "Has something happened?" Beth asked. For one heart stopping moment, she thought maybe someone might be hurt.

Michonne paused as if considering her answer before speaking, "We've caught one of the Governor's men. Merle's keeping an eye on him until I return," She said. She didn't wait for a response and disappeared through the door, leaving Beth alone in the kitchen once more.

_Merle was out there alone with one of the Governor's men? By himself? _

* * *

"Well, well, well, looks like we done caught ourselves an illegal alien. Ya traveled inta enemy territory amigo," He drawled into the hole next to where he was standing.

He had already checked the area and deemed it to be relatively empty for the moment. He didn't see any signs of any other men anywhere, but just the same Glenn was keeping a steady eye on the tree line with a pair of binoculars up in the guard tower. It had been Michonne who had heard the man down in the hole. The woman was always walking the perimeter of the fences and Merle had been nearby checking on some patches they had done to see how they were holding up to the walker weight. It had taken some convincing on his part to get the woman to leave and go get Rick and Daryl, but he had stood his ground until she had sighed and left to retrieve the men.

"Fuck off Merle. I done told you I ain't with that prick anymore. He's gone loco man. Totally batshit crazy since that bitch took out his eye," Martinez said.

Merle knelt down next to the hole and frowned at the man, "Hell, that ain't nothin' new. Damn bastard's always been fuckin' nuts," He muttered.

Martinez shook his head, "No. He's gotten worse since you took off with your brother. It's like something's flipped inside of his head," Martinez diverted his eyes towards the dirt walls that surrounded him. "He killed Shumpert," He muttered.

Merle sucked his teeth and narrowed his eyes, "Ya better not be bullshittin' me man. We ain't in tha playin' mood 'round here. I find out tha Governor sent ya here ta scope us out an' I'm shootin' ya ass," Merle threatened.

"Hell man! Shump was my friend! Hell, the three of us were his right hand men! Think about it. Do you honestly think I would come here by myself and get myself stuck in a damn hole? He doesn't even know I'm gone which means shit is liable to hit the fan pretty damn soon," Martinez said.

Merle studied the man. He had always had a feeling that Martinez wasn't cut out for the kind of things that the Governor did. He knew that Martinez had once had a wife and a kid, but he didn't know exactly what had happened to them. He knew the man never talked about them and Merle couldn't say that he blamed him. Martinez had put on a good act for the Governor, but Merle could see that the man inside of him wasn't as into the game as their leader. He just couldn't figure out what had made the Governor shoot Shumpert. That was the part that wasn't adding up. Shumpert was a beast and never hesitated to do whatever he was ordered to do.

_So what had changed? Was the Governor's empire crumbling around him?_

* * *

Beth watched as Merle and Daryl dragged a man inside of the prison with Rick following right behind them. She didn't know the man, but she knew immediately that he wasn't the Governor based on the stories she had heard about the horrible man. The group trickled in to the kitchen and Merle and Daryl led the man into the small holding cell that was near the stairs.

"Who is that?" Beth asked Michonne. The rest of the group members at the table all turned to the woman to hear her response.

"That's one of the Governor's men, Martinez," She replied.

Beth glanced over to the cell where Daryl was currently placing a lock on the door. He was Hispanic and appeared to be in his thirties as far as she could tell. She didn't want to judge him so quickly, but knowing that he was one of the Governor's men didn't sit well with her. He didn't fight Merle or Daryl, but she did notice that both Daryl and Merle were keeping a close eye on him.

"Ya wanna tell us why ya were snoopin' 'round outside our gate?" Daryl asked.

"I wasn't snooping! I'm here on my own. I was coming to warn you all that the Governor's gone off the deep end. I would have succeeded to if you all hadn't had this place booby trapped," Martinez said.

"Hey! We've got damn good reason to set up those traps," Rick said sharply.

"I never said you didn't. You damn well better put as many of those things out as you can get. You're gonna need it," Martinez warned.

"What tha hell ya keep blabberin' 'bout! What's tha crazy bastard up to now?" Daryl spat.

Martinez shrugged, "Honestly? I don't know. He's become more unpredicatable, more unstable. He shot a good friend of mine yesterday. Blew his face off for no good reason."

"Scared tha shit outta ya didn't it?" Merle asked.

He nodded solemnly, "You bet your ass it did. I'm not waiting around there for him to decide that I'm next. I'm not cut out for that kind of shit. I'm done," He said.

"Did you come here looking for shelter?" Rick asked.

Daryl whirled on Rick, "Yer not thinkin' 'bout lettin' this asshole stay are ya?"

Rick eyed Daryl, but didn't respond immediately. He turned to Martinez, "We need to have a group meeting and think about things. In the meantime, you can make yourself comfy in there. One of the ladies will provide you with something to eat and drink," Rick said.

Since Carol was holding Judith and Maggie was otherwise occupied by a conversation with Glenn, she stood up to find the man something to drink and nibble on. She felt Merle's eyes following her as she rummaged through their rations. He stopped by her arm before following the others out.

"If he so much as looks at'cha wrong, don't hesitate ta shoot 'im," Merle's voice growled near her ear.

She nodded, "He's inside of a cage. I think I can handle it." She grabbed a granola bar and turned to find that they were the only ones left in the room aside from Martinez. The others had already filed outside to hold their meeting. She reached into another box for a bottle of water and when she turned around again she bumped square into Merle's solid chest.

"I got watch tonight," He said gruffly.

She frowned in disappointment. She had been looking forward to having him sleep in her cell again. She sighed, "Okay. You better get out there."

He glanced over his shoulder at Martinez who was staring at them curiously and then back to her, "Wanna meet me there later?" He lowered his voice, his eyes staring at her intently.

She smiled softly, "Okay."

She heard Martinez sigh behind them and assuming the conversation over, she moved to go around Merle to give Martinez the food and water. Merle surprised her by grabbing her arm and holding her in place. Then he pulled her flush against him and winked at her before lowering his lips to hers. She felt a flush travel all through her body at the touch of his lips again. She had missed the feel of them on hers. He kissed her a little more roughly than he ever had, but it still left her shaken. Something about the kiss seemed possessive almost, like he was staking a claim on her and she wondered if it had anything to do with Martinez. His hand grazed the side of her breast as he pulled away and thankfully her body was shielded from Martinez's view.

Martinez was smirking as Merle walked out the door and his eyes cut over to hers, "So you and Dixon are a thing, huh?" He asked.

She blushed and passed him the food through the bars of the cell. He accepted it with a nod, tearing into the granola bar hungrily. She shrugged in response to his question, "I'm not really sure," She said.

He snorted, "Senorita, you just got owned. That was the kiss of a man claiming his territory," He said between bites.

"You think so?" She asked.

He nodded, "Trust me. I knew Dixon back at Woodbury and he's been with a few women, but I've _never _seen him like that."

Beth wondered about how many women was a few. She knew she had no reason to be jealous of what Merle had done in the past, but she couldn't help it. She didn't like to think of Merle with other women. The thought was driving her crazy.

"You must be something special to catch that one chica," Martinez said.

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**Let me know what you think! (OR just let me know how excited you are for Season 4) LOL**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey y'all! I hope everyone's doing well today! I'm still reeling over that first episode of TWD! Wow! Did anyone catch The Talking Dead where the guys mentioned that if there was one character that they could bring back to the show, who would it be? One said Lori and I wanted to slap him, but the other guy said Merle! So sad, I miss Merle sooo much! Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

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Beth had finally managed to sneak out of the prison and make it outside sometime in the middle of the night. She had almost forgotten that Martinez was locked up in the cell that was technically _in_ their eating area. Luckily he had been asleep on the cot that was bolted to the inside and his back had been to her making her escape a little easier. Once outside, she had made a beeline for the back guard tower, but she didn't anticipate running into anyone else on watch. It was only when she smacked into a hard chest that she even looked up in front of her.

She could barely make out Daryl's figure staring at her in the dimly lit courtyard, "Daryl," She gasped.

"Ya goin' ta see my brother ain'tcha?" He asked. She let out a deep breath and nodded. There was no use in lying about it. She had the feeling that Daryl already had his suspicions anyhow and she didn't really want to tick him off. "Fuck!" Daryl cursed. "Ya even know what in tha hell ya gettin' yaself into?"

"I'm completely aware. Please don't ask me to stay away from your brother Daryl. I don't think I can," She said.

He sighed, "Ain't gonna ask ya cause I know it won't make a bit o' difference, but ya need ta think 'bout whatcha doin'. Merle ain't tha flowers type an' if ya lookin' for a relationship, I don't think ya gonna find it with him," He said.

"I appreciate your concern, but I've got it covered. He's made himself very clear about what he's capable of and I accept that," She said.

She could see that his jaw was clenched and he stared off into the darkness over her head, "Who else knows 'bout this?" He asked.

"I think just you. I know that daddy knows there's something between us and he even gave Merle his blessing, but he doesn't know that I'm meeting Merle," She said softly.

"So was y'all havin' one o' these _meetin's _when tha guard tower caught fire?" Daryl asked.

Beth blushed and was glad that it was too dark for him to see, "Yes," She admitted.

Daryl sucked in a breath and she heard the strike of a match seconds before she saw the tiny flame as he lit a cigarette. He took several drags, blowing out the smoke in the other direction before responding, "Ain't exactly tha best o' places ta be havin' no meetin's if ya get my drift. Governor's out there an' we need eyes out. 'Specially with Gonzalez in there," Daryl gestured towards where Martinez was being kept.

"I know. We aren't doing anything up there. I just want to be with him," She explained.

Daryl snorted, "Ya goin' ta see my brother in the middle of the night in a room by yerselves an' ya think ya ain't doin' nothin'? Think again," He said.

Beth's face flamed red. She really didn't want to be having this conversation with Daryl. She knew he was right about having all eyes out though. She didn't want a repeat of the last time. They would just have to keep their hands off of each other until another time.

"Well, I'll see ya," She said quietly. She hoped the discussion was over.

Daryl waved a hand at her, "See ya."

She continued on her path until she reached the door to the guard tower. She took a deep breath and climbed the stairs until Merle came into view. She paused at the top and studied him in the dim glow of the lantern that he had lit. He was wearing a white tank with khaki pants as usual and she admired the way his muscles rippled underneath the back of the tank as he turned to glance over at her. His eyes traveled up and down her body as he drank her in and delighted shivers coursed through her. She knew that look. It was the same look he had given her the last time she had met him in the guard tower.

"What took ya so long? Second thoughts?" He smirked.

She shook her head as she stepped out of her shoes and left them by the stairs, "I had to make sure everyone was asleep and then your brother stopped me on the way here," She said.

His eyes narrowed, "My brotha? What tha hell did he want?"

Beth walked over to stand next to him at the rail. She debated on telling him, but then she knew that he would just find out some other way instead, "He wanted to make sure that I knew what I was getting myself into," She said.

Merle was quiet for several moments and then he chuckled as he turned to face out into the night like she was. He shook his head, "Gotta love my brotha. Always thinkin' he knows what's best fer me, but he don't. He might be years younger than me, but he's always tryin' ta play tha older brotha," Merle smiled as he glanced across the yard to where Daryl was probably still leaning in that same spot smoking. He looked over at her, "Ya still came so he musta not scared ya off," He commented.

He was still watching her carefully and she finally turned so that their eyes met. She shook her head slowly, "No. He didn't scare me off," She whispered.

He sucked his teeth, but his eyes never left hers. He walked over until they were barely touching and he pulled her forward until she was flush against him. Her breathing quickened in anticipation and she fought to retain her focus, "Merle," His name came out raspy sounding and she cleared her throat. "We probably shouldn't do this here," She whispered.

"Hmph. Seems ta me like ya ain't too firm in that decision darlin'. There's other things we can do ta pass tha time," His voice vibrated through her as he turned her so that she stood just in front of him. He pressed against her, pinning her against the railing. She shivered as he leaned over, parting her hair before his lips closed over the side of her neck, hot and wet. She tilted her head back and let out a low moan. He chuckled against her neck, "Keep yer eyes peeled fer anythin' suspicious now," He ordered softly.

She swallowed and tried to focus, but it was increasingly hard to do so with his mouth teasing her skin like it was. He nipped at her skin and sucked the flesh into his mouth before swirling his tongue over it. His blade rested over the railing while his other hand traveled over her hip and underneath her shirt in the front. He made an appreciative noise in the back of his throat as he discovered that she wasn't wearing a bra this time. His fingers grazed over her nipple and he gave it a small tug causing them to perk up beneath his hand. She was relieved that the light from the lantern didn't spill out onto the balcony surrounding the tower so that they were enveloped in darkness where they stood.

"Ya watchin'?" His voice rumbled near her ear.

She nodded, "Yes," She whispered weakly.

She felt his grin and then his hand dipped below the waist of her cotton shorts. He slipped underneath her panties and cupped her between her legs. He growled and pressed into her again, "Always so fuckin' wet," He said softly.

He slipped his finger into her slick folds and she grabbed onto the railing with both hands to steady herself. His finger teased slow circles inside of her and she struggled to keep her eyes on their surroundings. She bit her lip as he pushed further inside of her. He worked her over with one finger and then slipped a second inside before she even knew what was happening. She let out a whimper and pressed herself against his erection.

He hissed and pulled his fingers out of her, "Fuck!" He spat.

Before she could question what was wrong he yanked her shorts down to her knees and she heard him unbutton his jeans. Seconds later, she heard the sound of plastic and he slipped his finger into her from behind. She cried out even though she was biting her lip and she tasted blood. He swirled his fingers in and out, teasing her until she was quivering around his finger. He stepped closer and she felt the tip of him at her entrance.

"Gotta make this quick darlin', but I think ya gonna like it. Jus' make sure ya let me know if ya see somethin'," He added and she thought she detected a hint of humor in his voice as well as anguish.

She stared forward as he pushed inside of her. He paused once he was all the way in and she wiggled slightly as she tried to adjust to him. Her breath was coming out in short pants and she was gripping the railing so tight that her knuckles were white. He began a slow rhythm at first and then he quickly increased speed until she moaned low in her throat. The walls could fall down around them and she thought she wouldn't even care because it felt so good to be with him. He bent over her until his chest touched her back and then she felt his finger teasing her again. He swirled his finger over one spot over and over and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She rocked back against him and then she came undone as her orgasm rocked through her. He removed his finger and grabbed her waist as he thrust into her several more times before he stilled and groaned against her back. He moved away from her and she slowly went to her knees on the metal floor, her hands still gripping the rail.

"Fuck me, that's how ya do it," He panted.

She had never felt so exposed and turned on in her life. Having him behind her thrusting into her felt so different and she liked it a lot. She finally shifted and pulled her shorts back up, but she remained in her position on the floor although she did let go of the rail finally. She heard him moving around in the room behind her and then he was back beside her looking out into the night. She wondered how he could stand there so collected as if nothing had just occurred between them moments before. She felt like her mind was spinning out of control as she tried to collect herself.

Finally she pulled herself to her feet and they stood there silently again. She glanced at him and saw that he was staring rigidly out into the night. She didn't know what to say and she shifted uncomfortably, glancing over at him again.

"Somethin' on yer mind?" He asked. She shook her head. "Ya quiet," He observed. "When a woman's quiet it ain't never a good thang."

"Have you been with a lot of women?" She asked suddenly.

He turned to her then and raised his brow, "Why tha sudden interest?"

She swallowed, "Martinez mentioned th-"

"Fuckin' Mexican!" Merle cursed. "What else he tell ya? You two have a nice long chat?" His voice sounded angry and she wasn't sure why he was angry.

She placed her hands on her hips, "What difference does it make what he told me? I wasn't aware that I couldn't talk to other men Merle! You said yourself that this was just sex an-," He cut her off by kissing her roughly, his lips hard on hers and she felt her body responding to him immediately. When he pulled back from the kiss he didn't move away from her and he stared down at her intensely.

"Yer mine while as long as we're doin' this ya hear? Ya ain't ta be with no one else but _me_." His voice was low, but the deadly tone in which he spoke was unmistakable.

She glared up at him, her lips swollen from his possessive kiss, "I am _not _a possession. We're either together or we're not. You don't _own_ me Merle so unless you want to have a relationship then I'm still free to do as I please the way I see it," Her voice came out firm and strong, but she was shaking on the inside. She knew she would never want anyone else, but apparently Merle didn't. She would never consider Martinez, but this might be the push he needed to face his feelings head on. She jerked away from him and slipped her shoes back on, but not before she caught the anger flash through his eyes and the firm way he set his jaw. He was mad, but she didn't care. She headed down the stairs as fast as her feet would carry her and she didn't stop until she was halfway between where Daryl was keeping watch and the tower. She leaned against the wall as she tried to calm her beating heart.

_Why couldn't they just be normal and have a relationship like normal people? Why did it constantly have to be a back and forth battle between them? _

Beth wanted him so badly, but they always seemed to be pushing each other away and she didn't know how to fix it. She made her way back slowly to the prison, staying to the shadows to avoid Daryl even though she knew he would see her. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but she was willing to bet it wouldn't take her long to find out how Merle responded to her threat.

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**Wow! That went a little differently than planned! Hmm...Now I need to think about this, LOL. I know they always seem to be going at each other in some way, but Beth wants things that Merle thinks he doesn't want. She wants him to realize it and she really has no idea how to go about doing it. Keep in mind that they're both virgins to real relationships so they're struggling a bit to get it right.**

**Review?**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey y'all! I hope everyone's having a good night! Kind of a lazy day here for me! As soon as I got started on this chapter though, I found that I couldn't stop typing! I didn't think I had all this in me, LOL! Anyways, y'all are the ones who get to reap the benefits yet again. ;-) I hope you enjoy yet another chapter of Meth angst!**

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Merle sat on the tailgate of one of the trucks and fiddled with a carburetor that he had taken off of one of the vehicles they no longer used. It wasn't his turn on watch and he wasn't about to go sit inside of that prison in some small ass cell especially with the girl around. So far he had managed to avoid all contact with her for the past four days. He looked down at the part in his hand with a sigh. He missed working on vehicles like he had before all the world had went to shit. It didn't do him much good to work on them now. If a vehicle messed up, you just went and picked yourself out another one these days.

One of the pieces to the carburetor kept coming loose and it was aggravating his already short temper. It was hard to do anything with just one hand and a useless nub for a second. The piece popped loose again and he picked up the carb angrily and flung it against the wall of the prison where it split into several chunks that littered the concrete floor.

"What's eatin' you?" Daryl's voice spoke from behind him.

Merle turned and scowled at him, but remained quiet. Daryl hopped up onto the back of the tailgate next to him, placing his crossbow behind them in the bed of the truck. He watched as his brother fished into his jacket pocket for his pack of cigarettes and lit one up, taking a long draw from it. Merle had never gotten into smoking cigarettes. He had tried them before, but it wasn't something he craved and he could pick them up or put them down at any time without trouble. Not his brother though. Daryl was a chain smoker. Merle had never understood how the man could smoke that much. It pure out made him sick just thinking about it.

"Ya jus' gon' sit here or is ya got somethin' ta say?" Merle finally asked.

Daryl shrugged, "Why? Can't sit here?"

"Hmph. Ya only seek me out when ya got somethin' on ya mind or ya wanna tell me how ta live my life. Which one is it today?"

Daryl cut his eyes at him, "Can't sit out here with my brother now? What kinda shit is that?"

Merle gritted his teeth, "Beth told me ya told 'er ta stay away from me," He commented.

Daryl was silent for several minutes and then he nodded slightly, "Ain't gonna deny it. Wanted ta make sure tha girl knows what she's gettin' into."

"Don't recall askin' ya fer ya input," Merle said carefully.

"Ya need ta do somethin' Merle. Tha girl's mopin' all 'round tha prison. Either stand up an' make it work or back tha fuck down an' let her get on with her life," Daryl said.

Merle hopped off of the back of the tailgate and faced his brother, "That's a lotta big talk fer someone who _still_ ain't made tha decision ta sink or swim with tha mouse. What's it been now brotha? A _year_?"

Daryl blew out a cloud of smoke before tossing the rest of the cigarette to the ground and standing down from the tailgate, crushing the butt underneath his boot. Merle stood tensely, wondering if his brother was going to hit him. He was itching for a fight, but he couldn't quite judge his brother's mood. Daryl stopped directly in front of Merle and flicked his eyes toward the prison before looking back up at him.

"Just fix yer shit Merle before someone else fixes it for ya," Daryl said in a low voice and he grabbed his bow, brushing past Merle as he made his way back towards the front of the prison.

Merle stood there looking after him, "What tha hell's that s'posed ta mean?" Merle called after him, but Daryl ignored him and kept on walking leaving Merle standing there still staring after him.

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Beth hummed to herself as she scrubbed the pieces of clothing one at a time on the washboard that Carol or somebody had found on a run once. She was trying to keep herself occupied with various chores around the prison in an effort to keep her mind off of the fact that Merle had effectively ignored her for the past four days.

She dunked the shirt into the water and scrubbed it back and forth over the hard ridges of the board. It wasn't the most pleasant of chores by any means, but it needed to be done just like everything else.

"_Damn _senorita, that how you all have to do clothes around here?" Martinez's voice spoke from just behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder at him and gave him a small smile, "Know of a better way?" She asked.

He chuckled and knelt down on one knee beside her, his eyes roaming the fences around them, "Yeah. Just steal new shit," He laughed.

Beth stared at him for several moments and then she burst out laughing too, startling herself. She realized she hadn't laughed in quite some time and that's why the sound had startled her so.

Rick had come to the decision to let Martinez out of his cell earlier this morning. Daryl had insisted that if something went down, they would need Martinez to help them if he was willing. It wouldn't do for the man to be locked up when the Governor came back around. There would be no time to waste trying to free him then and the others had deemed him to be relatively sincere in his confessions about leaving the Governor in the past four days. Daryl and Rick both were keeping a close eye on the man though and he wasn't to be given any weapons for the time being until they decided that it was safe to do so.

Beth was pretty sure Merle didn't know about these recent developments since he was making himself scarce lately. She wondered how he would feel about it all. She had been serious about what she had said to him. Since he hadn't spoken to her or come around her lately then she could only assume that they weren't together anymore. He had obviously made his decision and she wasn't it. It was hard for her to wrap her head around that and she knew that a part of her still held out hope that he would come strolling through with a changed mind. It was far fetched, but she couldn't stop herself from hoping.

"That's much better. You look better wearing a smile instead of that sour face you had a few minutes ago," Martinez said.

Beth sighed, "I've got a lot on my mind," She said.

"Trouble in paradise?" He asked with a serious expression.

She wasn't sure she was comfortable talking to Martinez about her problems since she hardly knew the man. She shrugged, "It's nothing."

He nodded as if he understood her reluctance to talk, "The only thing I know to tell you, chica, is that stubborness must be a Dixon family trait because the other Dixon is stubborn as hell. I've been observing the dance that Caro and Double D have been doing around each other and I almost want to shoot myself in the foot at the tension between them," He said.

She shook her head with a smile, "_Caro _and _Double D_?" She asked with a giggle. He smiled and for a few seconds she thought he had a real nice smile. If the other Dixon hadn't stolen her heart so completely, she might have actually crushed on Martinez.

"Those are the names I made up for them in my head and they've just kind of stuck I suppose. Didn't have much else to do being stuck in that tiny ass cell for the past four days. Don't judge," He joked with a chuckle.

She wrung out the last shirt and Martinez stood and reached out a hand to help her to her feet. She smiled at him in thanks and placed her small hand in his large warm one. He had barely hauled her to her feet when they both turned to find Merle standing just behind Martinez, his face a mask of barely controlled anger.

"Cozy?" Merle asked in his deadly quiet voice and Beth swallowed.

Martinez went to speak and Beth placed her hand on his arm, not once taking her eyes off of Merle. She didn't miss the barely there spark of anger flash in his eyes at the touch either.

"Would you mind taking this basket of clothes to Carol for me? I'll be along in just a bit," Beth said to Martinez.

Martinez glanced down at her and then at Merle before he nodded, "Sure thing." He picked up the basket, but Merle made no attempts to move out of his way, forcing Martinez to walk around the other direction before they were left alone.

"We need ta talk," Merle growled.

Beth shrugged, barely glancing at him, "So talk."

"Not here," He replied.

Beth shook her head, "No. If you've got something to say then just say it here. There's no one close enough that will hear," She said.

Merle grabbed her hand all of a sudden and tugged her behind him up the small set of steps that led to the boiler room. Once inside, he slammed the door shut behind them. She waited with her hands on her hips for him to say what he needed to say.

It took several minutes before he finally began to speak, "I don't want no relationship," He began and she threw her hands up in frustration and turned on her heel to leave the room. His hand darted out and he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pushing her back up against the wall and pinning her in place with his body. "Ain't finished yet so don't be gettin' yer panties in a twist sugah," He drawled softly.

Her chest heaved beneath him as she fought to get her emotions under control, "Talk," She whispered.

"Like I was sayin' a minute ago, I ain't lookin' fer no relationship, _but _maybe we can work somethin' else out," He said.

"Like what Merle?" She asked.

"Hell I don't know! I ain't wantin' ta give ya up, but I ain't no good at relationships," He lowered his head so that his eyes were level with hers. "We're good togetha girlie. Why we gotta mess with a good thang?" He lowered his lips to her neck and softly sucked at the skin there, making her head spin.

"Because it's not right..._Merle_," His name left her lips on a whimper and she knew he was trying to distract her, _the bastard_, but she couldn't form coherent thoughts when he was kissing her like that and he knew it.

"That's right darlin'..._Merle_," He growled against her neck. His thumb stroked across her nipple through her clothing and she shivered.

His tongue trailed over her pulse that throbbed at her throat as he pressed himself against her. She made one last weak attempt to push him away and then only ended up gripping his shoulders as he covered her mouth with his own. She moaned into his mouth and he murmured his approval as he pulled away. He rested his forehead against hers while he moved his hand to unbutton her pants. He unzipped them and worked them down her legs with his hand until they rested around her ankles. He stared at her with eyes clouded with passion before bending down to his knees in front of her. He leaned forward and pressed his face between her legs and she closed her eyes as she felt his warm breath fan over her.

"_Merle_," She trembled and he stared up at her, his eyes locking onto hers. Something clenched deep inside of her and she knew in that moment that she would let him do whatever he wanted. Her heart belonged solely to him and she couldn't resist him.

He hooked one finger into her panties and glided them down her legs slowly, his tongue leaving a wet trail down her leg after them. He nudged her legs as far apart as the jeans around her ankles would allow and then he pressed his face into her again, lapping at her with his tongue. She bucked against him and he chuckled, the vibrations down below making her more wet. He took his time licking and stroking her with his tongue. He used his hand to spread her lips and teased her small nub until she struggled to remain upright, her legs threatening to give beneath her. She braced herself with her hands on his shoulders and she closed her eyes as the sensations built within her. He increased the speed and pressure of his tongue until she was panting and her fingers were fisted into the material of his shirt.

He pulled back slightly to stare at her as his finger replaced his tongue, "Give it up fer me," He said raggedly. "Let me know yer mine," He growled and his eyes flashed with possession and something else that she didn't recognize.

She whimpered and thrashed her head back and forth as she began to tip over the edge into oblivion. She bucked beneath his hand as the sensations shook her body. She was vaguely aware of him moving back to lap at her juices with his mouth and then she was sliding down the wall, his hand helping to guide her down to the floor.

She fought to gain control of her breathing as he moved to lean his back against the wall next to her. She still had no idea where they stood as far as having any sort of relationship and her mind was still reeling from the orgasm he had just given her. She shifted to her feet and pulled up her clothes without looking at him.

"So we're back to square one again?" She asked softly.

He looked up at her sharply, "What tha fuck ya mean by that?" He asked.

She shrugged, "This is beginning to be a pattern of sorts for us. We end up doing something intimate instead of talking this out," She said.

He sucked his teeth, "Talkin's overrated," He said and stood up in front of her. "I jus' gave ya a fuckin' orgasm an' ya want ta _talk_?" He sighed and moved to stare out of the tiny barred window that barely provided any light into the room. "I don't know what tha fuck I can give ya. Maybe that's all tha hell I'm good at. Ya ever think o' that?" He asked with barely laced anger.

She stared at him, trying to understand why he would think that. "That's _not _all you're good at," She insisted.

He snorted and turned to look at her, "Name somethin' else then," He challenged.

She scrambled for an answer that he might find acceptable, "You're good at hunting and weapons. Teaching people," She said.

He smirked and walked over to the door shaking his head softly. He paused with his hand on the doorknob before walking out, "Ain't none o' them things got nothin' ta do with _you _though do it?" The sound of the door closing behind him made her jump slightly and then she was alone. Again.

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**Review?**


	22. Chapter 22

**_Hey y'all. Short chapter here. It's been crazy around here today. I'll be getting back to the other fic shortly so don't fear. This needed to get out. More notes at the end._**

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Beth was done. _Done._

She had lain in bed all night trying to figure out how to handle the situation with Merle. He hadn't come by her cell and she hadn't gotten any sleep at all. She tried to understand what might be going through his mind, but she honestly didn't know what to do about any of it. He seemed to think that he wasn't any good with relationships. Well neither was she, but she was willing to give it a try. He seemed to only be concerned about having sex with her and she wanted more than just that from him. He seemed to feel something for her, but he wouldn't come out and say what it was that he was feeling. He kept trying to distract her by touching her and it worked because she melted like butter every time he did it. But she was done with all of that and today she was going to tell him. He was either in it or not.

Finding him though was proving slightly more difficult than she had figured it to be. He wasn't outside with the others and she didn't see him in the cell block anywhere. Finally she approached Carol who was sorting through their stockpile of food, "Have you seen Merle?" She asked.

Carol glanced up at her from her position on the floor and then pointed towards the tombs, "He mentioned something about the library just a bit ago. He hasn't come back through yet though," She said. "Everything okay?"

Beth nodded, "Yeah, everything's fine. I just need to talk to him," She said. "Thanks Carol."

Carol smiled at her, "You're welcome," She replied as Beth entered through the doorway into the tombs.

She didn't really like coming back here alone because it was so dark and gloomy. The overall vibe of the long, dark, hallways made her more than a little skittish. She moved quickly down the hallway until she came to the door to the library. She slowly opened it and walked inside looking for him. She hadn't really visited the library and she was surprised at all of the books that it held.

"Lookin' fer someone?" That rough voice that rocked her soul drawled.

She turned and sucked in a breath. Of course, he just _had _to be looking good in a black tank and jeans as he leaned against one of the bookshelves. He had a book in his hand and she glanced towards it curiously.

"I didn't know you read," She said.

He shrugged, "Assholes can't read?" He asked sarcastically.

He smiled slowly and she felt herself smile in response. She crossed her arms and shook her head at him, "What are you reading?"

His eyes traveled the length of her and she shifted. He sucked his teeth, "That ain't what ya came here ta talk 'bout. So spill," He said.

She sucked in a breath and was about to speak when they heard a very audible bang from down the hallway. He was standing up straight instantly and the book lay forgotten on top of the shelf as he made his way silently towards her.

"Anybody back here when ya came?" He asked softly.

She shook her head, "No. The others are all outside. Carol was in the kitchen but I doubt she would come this far," Beth whispered.

Merle went to the doorway and peeked his head out. Unconsciously she moved closer behind him until she was just barely touching his back. The warmth radiating from his body comforted her. They heard another sound, more faint this time and Merle reached behind him with his hand to keep her back from any dangers. Just the touch of his hand had her mind reeling and she fought with herself for control. He removed his hand and she saw him slip inside the waist of his pants and pull out a handgun. He turned back to her for a second, his expression tense and serious.

"I'm gonna go check this shit out. Stay ya ass here til' I get back," He ordered.

"Let me come with you. I can help," She insisted.

He pinned her with an angry stare, "Do as I say," He hissed and turned around to slip down the hallway silently.

She moved forward slightly and peered around the doorway until she could just make him out in the hallway. She watched him glance into a couple of rooms and then he paused at the corner and peered silently around the wall. He turned and then silently vanished around the corner and she leaned her weight against the doorway with a sigh. She remembered the book that Merle had placed on top of the bookshelf and she turned to go and see which one it was, but was stopped by the cold metal of a gun barrel pressing into her temple. She heard the audible click of the safety going off and she closed her eyes for a second, not daring to even breathe.

"Check her for weapons," A voice ordered quietly and Beth was slammed against the wall while two hands patted her down. They took both of the knives that she had, but thankfully she didn't have her gun on her. One of the hands groped her breast and she flinched and tried to buck away from them, but they just increased the pressure to hold her in place.

Her heart was pounding and she wanted to call for Merle, but she didn't dare. Calling out could attract other unwanted attention if there were walkers lurking about. She also didn't want him being dragged into this...whatever it was that was going on. Rough hands grabbed her wrists and pulled them tight behind her before binding them together with some kind of plastic tie.

She heard them speaking softly behind her, "What about the man? He wasn't part of the deal. If he comes back..." The voice trailed off.

"Shut up! If he comes back before we get out of here, we take care of it just like boss said to do. Hopefully those walkers will keep him busy for a bit and this shit will be even easier than we anticipated," A second voice whispered.

She was pulled back against a male chest and a thick arm wrapped around her throat as they forced her to walk down the long hallway. Her eyes darted around frantically, searching for Merle. They hadn't went very far before the man walking to her left was suddenly snatched into a dark cell and the man holding her tightened his grip and backed against the bars of the cell on the opposite wall. She felt the tip of his gun pressing into her head again. There were sounds of shuffling coming from within the cell and then all grew quiet. Beth could feel the man behind her breathing heavily on her neck.

Several minutes passed before Merle stepped into the doorway of the cell, his expression more deadly than she had ever seen before. She had never seen him look so cold and distant even when he had been angry with her. He held the gun up and pointed it at the man.

"What did you do to my friend?" The man holding her asked.

Merle's lips quirked up into a twisted smile that sent shivers through her body, "Tha same thing I'm gonna do ta you," He said quietly. "Let tha girl go. We don't need 'er. We can settle this like men."

The man holding her scoffed, "I'm not stupid. I let her go and you're gonna shoot me. I have orders to fill."

"What kinda orders?" Merle asked.

"That's none of your business," The man replied. His hand traveled down to her breast and she jerked beneath him. "Don't move or I'll blow your fucking brains out," The man whispered by her ear.

Her eyes darted up to Merle's, but he was still staring at the man intently. His jaw had developed a slight twitch, but other than that he remained motionless.

"The Gov'nor sent ya, didn't he?" Merle asked.

"So what if he did? I'm getting myself a nice bonus out of this. I get first dibs with the girl here," She felt his hand slide beneath her shirt and his grubby fingers pinched her nipple making her yelp in pain. "And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it too."

Something flashed in Merle's eyes and he chuckled before his expression grew cold once again, "Fuck you," Merle said.

She heard the walker a split second before it reached through the bars of the cell and grabbed the man behind her. His arm loosened its hold around her neck as he gasped and she took the opportunity to bring her foot down on his hard. She ducked and managed to slip through his now loose hold as a gunshot rang out.

"Fuck!" Merle yelled out and she heard another gunshot before he ran over to her.

She looked at him curiously as he lifted the edge of her shirt and squinted in the dim light coming through the dusty windows. "What are you doing?" She asked.

His jaw was tight as he ripped his shirt over his head and began to wind it around her belly tightly. The instant pain that tore through her body had her crying out. She glanced down to see bright red blood seeping through her shirt. Her eyes drifted back up to Merle's to find him staring at her with something close to terror. A sharp pain radiated throughout her body and her eyes rolled up into her head as Merle moved to catch her with a muffled curse.

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**_Don't kill me! I know I ended it at a horrible spot, but there's too much that needs to be written for the next part and I didn't want to keep y'all waiting. If I hadn't ended it here, it definitely would not have been out tonight! So I'm sorry for the short chapter and sorry for the cliffhanger. I'll do my best to have an update for y'all tomorrow. I've got another semi busy day so it may be a late update again. Sorry for that! Anyway, let me know what you think about this one! This is actually my second attempt on it because I didn't think the first one fit and y'all really would have killed me for that one! _**

**_Review?_**


	23. Chapter 23

**Okay y'all, I know it's late, but I made several of you a promise that this would be out tonight and I'm close enough! LOL! It's not what I wanted it to be, but I think the episode from tonight has thrown me off a bit. I hope it's not bad though and I've went over it several times for errors and such. You can only tweak these things so much though. I can't promise a chapter tomorrow, but I'll see what I can do! I'm just so doggone happy that everyone is so into this! That truly makes my heart happy! So I hope this chapter didn't seem too far off!**

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Merle ran through the cell block calling out for help. Carol was still in the kitchen and she set down a box she had been carrying to run outside for the others. Luckily Hershel was already on his way inside and at her distressed call he ambled faster into the cell block. Merle took her into her cell and laid her down on the bed gently. His shirt that he had wrapped around her was already soaked through with her blood and he grimaced. Sighing he stood and went to the doorway of the cell to see what was taking so long. Hershel met him in the doorway and Merle quickly moved so that the old man could get by.

"What's happened?" Hershel asked as he went to her bedside. His eyes skirted across Merle's naked chest, but he didn't comment on it.

"Fuckin' breach is what happened! Damn Gov'nor sent two o' his men," Merle said. He ran his hand over his head and didn't add that he had been the one to shoot her. He hadn't meant to shoot her and he wished like hell he could take it back, but it was already done. His finger had already been on the trigger when she had moved and if she had just stayed still then he wouldn't have shot her. He kept replaying the scene over and over in his mind, but it was still the same ending every time.

Maggie bounded into the room along with Carol, breathless and frantic, "What happened?" She asked.

Before Merle could speak, Hershel looked at Maggie, "I need my bag Maggie," He told her and her eyes zoned in on Beth before she nodded, running off to retrieve it. Hershel looked at Carol next, "Carol would you mind getting me some clean towels and some hot water please," He said.

After the two women had exited the cell to handle their given tasks, Daryl and Rick entered. Daryl's eyes skirted over Merle and then to Beth who lay pale and still on the bed. Daryl came to a stop next to Merle, but Rick went and stood by Hershel.

"What happened?" Daryl asked softly.

Merle let out a deep breath, "We need ta talk. All o' us, but not yet. First I gotta make sure she's gon' be okay," He said.

Maggie entered the cell again and handed Hershel the bag. She reached around him and adjusted the light so that he could see better. Merle couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"What do you need?" Maggie asked Hershel.

"I need my sewing kit, tweezers, hot water, and something to give her for pain. She's got a bullet in here that I'm going to have to dig out," Hershel said. He turned to Merle and the others, "I'm going to need you all to clear out. We need the room. I'll come and get you when I'm done," He told Merle.

Merle clenched his jaw, but nodded once. He left the cell and made a quick detour up the stairs to his own cell where he retrieved another shirt to put on. Rick and Daryl met him at the top of the stairs before he could make his way back down.

"What happened back there?" Rick demanded quietly.

"Fuckin' Gov'nor. Two men breached tha prison. Both o' them had guns an' they tried ta take 'er. I took one out, but tha other one had a gun pointed at 'er. Walkers grabbed hold o' him an' she ducked as I took tha shot. It's my fuckin' bullet they diggin' out o' her," He spat.

Daryl chewed on his thumb, "There was jus' tha two of 'em?" He asked.

Merle nodded. "Did they say they were with the Governor?" Rick asked.

"No, not directly, but they pretty much confirmed it with their actions when I asked. Don't know nobody else who'd wanna get inside o' here that damn bad. He musta found himself some more people cause I don't recognize them from Woodbury when I was there," He confirmed.

"We need ta get a group back there ta check for tha breach," Daryl said quietly. "There might be walkers comin' in as we speak." He hoisted his crossbow higher on his shoulder.

"Yeah. I guess it's safe to assume that the Governor isn't going to attack until he knows his men aren't coming back," Rick said.

Merle huffed, "Ya don't assume _nothin'_ where this bastard is concerned, ya got it? He's not goin' ta do what you _expect _him to."

Daryl nudged Rick, "I'm goin' ta get Michonne ta go with us. Glenn's on watch."

Rick nodded and Daryl headed down the stairs. Rick ran a hand through his hair and then looked at Merle, "You'll handle things in here?" He asked.

Merle stared at him for several moments. He couldn't believe Rick was asking _him_ if he would handle things. He didn't respond though and he just nodded in confirmation instead. Rick headed down the steps then and Merle was left in the cell block with the others. He headed down to the last step on the stairs and sat. From there he had a partial view of Beth's cell block and he focused on the movement inside of the cell.

* * *

He was off the steps in an instant when he heard her scream. He headed into the cell and pushed past Carol who was standing near Maggie and Hershel. Hershel was digging into the wound in her stomach and Maggie was attempting to hold down Beth's legs while Carol held her arms. Beth was staring wildly around and tears were streaming down her face.

"Hold her down girls!" Hershel's voice rang out.

Merle nudged Carol to the side, "Lemme see 'er," He said firmly.

Carol gave him a look, but moved out of the way and Merle removed his blade before laying his stump across one of her arms. He grabbed her other hand in his and marveled briefly at how soft and small it felt in his much larger hand.

"Shhh...easy now," He whispered near her ear. She began to quiet down some and then her eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out.

Merle let out a breath and wiped at his sweat soaked forehead. He watched as Hershel finally located the bullet and pulled it out with a pair of tweezers. Hershel examined it and declared that it was still intact so at least they didn't have to go digging for fragments inside of her stomach. Merle stood up and went to lean in the doorway of the cell while they finished working on Beth. It seemed to take forever, but finally Hershel was done and the women left the cell to put everything back in its place. Merle stepped back inside as Hershel covered Beth with a sheet and waited.

"The next twenty four hours will be critical. We need to keep watch for a fever and any signs of infection. I assume you are going to sit with her for a while?" Hershel asked him.

Merle looked over at her pale form lying in the bed, "I ain't leavin'."

Hershel stared at him for a moment and then nodded, "Fine. Make sure you come get me if there's any change, no matter what time it is," He said.

"Yep," Merle replied.

Hershel's eyes strayed back to Beth once more and he leaned down to kiss her forehead before walking out of the room leaving Merle alone with Beth and his thoughts. He pulled the curtain all of the way closed and moved to sit on the floor next to the bed where he could reach her if need be.

He stared at her, his eyes coasting over her on the bed. He felt gutted and defeated. He was torn between wanting to get as far away from her as possible and never wanting to leave. She wouldn't be in this predicament if it weren't for him. He wouldn't leave this time though. He would stay and he would damn sure be there when she woke up. Carrying her down that hallway, her body leaving a trail of blood behind them, had sparked something deep inside of Merle that he had felt so few times in his life that he wasn't sure he even knew what it was at first.

He knew now though. That feeling in his gut that made him want to curl into himself and lash out at everything: it was _fear_.

* * *

_Beth moaned and thrashed in the bed. Her stomach felt like it was on fire, but she couldn't understand why. Every part of her body was burning up and she felt trapped underneath all of her clothes and the blanket that covered her. A rough hand touched her forehead and she sighed into its coolness. Then just as quickly as it touched her it was gone and she cried out again._

_"Yer alright darlin'. We gon' give ya some medicine ta make ya feel better," She heard Merle's voice whisper into her ear._

_"Merle!" She cried out into the darkness._

_Where was he? She felt lost as if she was in a tunnel somewhere and trying to crawl her way out._

_Then another voice, "Hold her down for me Merle. I'm going to inject her," Hershel said._

_She tried to reach out for her daddy, but found that she could no longer move her arms. She felt a pinch on one of her arms and she winced. The weight left her arms and she felt a little dizzy. She wanted to stay alert, but the darkness was calling her name, pulling her under and she succumbed to it._

* * *

_Voices._

_"How is she?" Rick asked._

_"Hershel says her fever's breakin'. Luckily tha bullet didn't hit no major organs. She ain't out o' tha woods yet though. Says 'er wound has a lil' infection in it, but he gave 'er some antibiotics ta hopefully clear it up. All we can do is wait," Merle responded._

_"You need anything?" Rick asked. "You haven't left her side more than a few minutes since you brought her in here two days ago."_

_"I'm alright. I told ya I ain't leavin' 'er til' she wakes up. They get tha breach fixed?" Merle asked._

_Rick sighed, "We think we've got it all. Daryl is down there with Morgan now seeing how it held up overnight."_

_There were shuffling noises and then Beth felt herself being pulled under again._

* * *

_"Come on darlin'. 'Nough o' this nonsense. Ya need ta fight this. Ya gotta come on back so ya can kick my ass fer shootin' ya," Merle's voice drawled near her ear. "We still got some trainin' left ta do. Don't think I'm gon' let'cha ass off easy. It's time ta quit playin' possum an' come on back ta us."_

_She wanted to speak, but she couldn't seem to make her lips move. She was trying to yell at him that she was there and she was listening, but nothing came out except a whimper and she wasn't even sure if he heard it. A few minutes later she felt his lips briefly skirt hers before they were gone. She willed her body to wake up, but it was like she had lost all control of herself. Frustration gnawed at her as she slipped under yet again._

* * *

Beth blinked her eyes open several times and stared up at the bottom bunk before turning her head to look around her cell. She was surprised to see Merle sitting on the floor next to the bunk, his head facedown on the edge of the bed as he slept. She shifted and hissed softly at the slight pain she felt in her stomach. She studied him in his relaxed state. She couldn't see his face, but she could tell that he must be extremely tired from the way he was breathing so deeply. She wondered how long she had been out. She remembered getting shot and Merle wrapping her with his shirt, but that's where things got fuzzy.

She lifted her hand and lightly ran her fingers over the small amount of hair on his head. His breathing changed slightly and he shifted before picking his head up and staring straight into her eyes. She could clearly see the lines in marring his face now and she wished she hadn't touched him and woken him up. He clearly needed the sleep. The lantern beside the bed was on and it cast a soft glow over the cell.

"You shot me," She said with a teasing smile.

He smirked slightly, "Minor details. How ya feelin'? I need ta get yer pa?" He asked.

She shook her head. She didn't feel too bad and she was scared she might have to take more medicine that would make her sleep again. She didn't want to go back to sleep yet. She wanted to be here with Merle. "I feel alright," She said.

"Best get ya some rest while ya still can. It's tha middle o' tha night," He said.

"Sleep with me?" She whispered.

He clenched his jaw and she raised her hand to rest it there. "Ain't 'nough room. Don't wanna irritate tha wound," He replied.

She frowned, "Please? I would sleep better if you're up here. The floor can't be very comfortable," She said.

He was quiet for several minutes and she held her breath as she waited on his response. Finally he stood and removed his prosthetic and boots. She bit her lip and held in a moan as she slid herself over. She knew that if he thought she was in pain he wouldn't sleep with her and she wasn't really in pain, it was more of an ache than anything else.

He slid in next to her and she burrowed her head into his chest. He smelled like _Merle_ and she took a moment to breathe him in. He stiffened, "None o' that now," He chided softly.

She smiled against his chest, "Sorry," She whispered.

He grunted and they lay there in silence, the only sound being the beating of their hearts that seemed amplified inside of the tiny cell. She felt relaxed for the first time in a while it seemed. She tilted her head back only to find his eyes still open, the blue orbs staring straight into her soul.

"Merle?" She whispered.

"Hm?"

She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, "Thanks for staying."

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**Where is everyone? Review? :-)**


	24. Chapter 24

**_Hey y'all! So...y'all are there huh? You've just been hiding in the shadows from me, reading but not reviewing. LOL. I may just have to do something drastic here to get y'all's attention somehow...My mind is a sneaky little bastard when it wants to be so don't get too comfy here. Lots more angst to come, I promise! ;-)_**

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Merle stabbed his knife through the fence at a walker that wandered too close. He was tired, but he felt better than today than he had felt the past week. He had slept lightly through the night trying to be mindful if Beth made any noises in her sleep. He had wanted to sleep with her, but he also hadn't wanted to hurt her further. It seemed like the more he did, the more he hurt her and it was starting to get to him. This morning he had slipped out of her cell and asked Maggie to sit with her. Surprisingly the girl hadn't given him any lip and had merely nodded before going into the room with her sister. It had surprised the hell out of him to say the least.

He was on fence duty now, constantly walking the fences and stabbing at the rotting pricks that dared to drift too close. There seemed to be an increase in walkers lately and the others had noticed too. For the most part they were still manageable as long as someone was out there picking them off. If they didn't then it seemed like they all gathered in one spot and the pressure made the fences buckle dangerously. Merle had never seen anything like it. He reared back and shoved his knife through the links again, stabbing a female walker in the forehead. Thick, black, blood came oozing out and she slithered down against the fence with a thud.

He turned and flicked his blade to rid it of the black blood, watching as it sprayed across the grass. He was distracted momentarily by the sight of it and so he didn't spot Carl coming down the hill towards him until he looked up and the kid was halfway across the field. Merle stood still as Carl closed the gap between them.

"What's good lil' sheriff?" Merle drawled.

Carl grimaced at the term, "Maggie is asking for you. She's trying to get Beth to take a shower, but she's refusing. Hershel says the wound needs cleaning and a shower and a walk would do her good. She thought you might be able to talk some sense into her since you've been spending so much time with her and all," Carl said.

Merle frowned. _So the girl was being difficult, hm? _He almost wanted to grin because he could just imagine her in that bed with her arms crossed and a defiant scowl spanning her face. He sighed, "Keep an' eye on this damn fence. I'll send somebody down ta relieve ya," He said. "Gotta do every damn thing 'round here," He muttered as he walked away.

He glanced at Carl one time over his shoulder and saw the kid taking the spear they kept near the gate and stabbing at the walkers that had gathered while he had been occupied. He made sure the kid had it under control and then he continued on up the hill. Unfortunately the only person he ran into on the way towards Beth's cell was Glenn and he sucked his teeth, but stepped in front of the man, cutting him off.

He gestured with a jerk of his head towards the fence, "Carl's down there by hisself. I said I'd send someone ta back him up. Got some business ta tend to," Merle said shortly.

Glenn nodded and Merle moved to walk around him, but Glenn's hand on his arm stopped him. Merle paused, waiting for the man to say something. Finally Glenn cleared his throat, "I. Forgive. You," Glenn punctuated each word out through clenched teeth and Merle could tell that it had been hard for him to say it.

He eyed Glenn. He didn't know how to respond to that admission. It seemed like everyone in the group was acting like they had been dipping in the whiskey and he was having trouble keeping up with it all. "What changed ya mind?" Merle asked.

Glenn shrugged and removed his hand from Merle's arm. He didn't look Merle in the eye, "I just figured it was time. You've been here a while now and you seem different. I don't know what the cause is, but I hope it stays that way. I've also seen how you've been with Beth. Maggie loves Beth and well, I love Maggie. I need to forgive you for Maggie and for..._myself_," He stated and his eyes slid up to stare Merle square in the eye.

Merle sucked his teeth, "Takes a lotta balls ta forgive someone kid. 'Specially an' asshole like me who beat tha hell outta ya," Glenn winced, but Merle continued. "Ya know, tha whole time I was hittin' ya, I kept thinkin', _What's it gonna take ta break this kid?_, and ya never did. I seen bigger men than you go down a lot quicker an' that says a lot 'bout ya," Merle finished.

Something sparked in Glenn's eyes and he nodded once and then walked away, leaving Merle standing in the cell block alone. Merle sighed and continued down until he drew closer to Beth's cell and he could hear her talking.

"I'm fine Maggie! I can take a sponge bath or something. I don't want to go to the showers," She insisted angrily. "I just wish everyone would leave me alone!" She yelled.

Merle chuckled as he stepped into the doorway of the cell. Maggie was standing beside her bed with her arms crossed defiantly and her legs spread in a determined stance. Hershel was propped in the corner observing Beth having her fit with an expression of concern on his face. Merle's blade clanged gently against the bars as he leaned his head into the room. All conversation ceased and everyone's eyes turned to him. Maggie's showed mild relief and Hershel's brow furrowed and he sighed loudly. Merle looked to Beth and saw that indeed her arms were crossed and her eyes were spitting fire at the occupants of the cell.

It was Maggie who spoke first, "Merle, can you please try to talk some sense into her?"

Merle opened his mouth to speak, but Beth cut him off, "You called _Merle?_ What is this, some kind of ambush?" She cried.

Merle narrowed his eyes and walked into the room. Maggie backed away from the bed and exchanged a glance with her daddy who shook his head at her. "So I leave ya fer a lil' over an hour an' ya actin' like a two year old?" Merle said to her. Beth opened her mouth to spit out a retort no doubt, but Merle cut her off this time. "I ain't done talkin'. Way I see it is ya got two options. _One_, ya can getcha ass up outta that bed an' down ta tha showers or _two_, I can _make_ ya," He said.

"I dare Merle Dixon!" Beth spit out.

Merle smirked. That had been the wrong thing to say and Beth's eyes widened as she came to that realization herself. Merle had _never_ turned down a dare and he definitely wasn't going to start now.

He turned to Hershel and Maggie who were observing the scene with interest, "Give us a minute an' I'll have 'er up an' on her merry way ta tha showers. I'll escort 'er there an' Maggie can go in an' help 'er while I keep watch," He said.

Maggie nodded and cast one last look at Beth before she walked out. Hershel paused next to his daughter's bed before leaving, "Honey, it's for your own good. The more you move around, the better you will feel," He said.

"I _feel_ just fine!" Beth hissed.

Hershel shook his head and turned to Merle, "She's never been the best patient in the world. She gets it from my mother I suppose. The medicine I've been giving her has probably worn off by now and she's bound to be a little irritable," Hershel explained.

Merle nodded. _So that was why she hadn't been like that last night when she had asked him to sleep with her._ _Well, well, she was in for a rude awakening this morning then because he wasn't going to have her spitting bullets at everyone when she needed to try and get well. _

He waited until Hershel had left the cell and then he walked over and yanked the curtain all of the way over the cell so that they had privacy. He turned back to the bed and found her eyeing him suspiciously. Ignoring her, he reached over and removed his blade, slipping it into the pocket on the leg of his pants for later. He cracked his neck and stopped at the edge of her bed.

"Last chance darlin'," He said gruffly.

"Humph," She replied, but it didn't sound as convincing as it had before.

He chuckled, "Have it yer way."

He reached down and yanked the blanket away from her hands that tried desperately to clutch at it. He swore as he saw that she wasn't wearing any pants. Her panties were barely visible underneath the hem of her shirt and his eyes darkened considerably as he focused on the lacy material. While he was distracted she made a grab for the sheet and almost had it too, but he caught it just in time and flung it out of her reach. He glanced around and spotted some pants on the floor that he scooped up. She eyed him as he approached with the pants and he caught the mischievous glint in her eyes.

He tsked, "Ya wanna play rough? We can play rough darlin', but I promise ya this...I'm gonna win," He drawled.

He let that sink into her brain as he tucked the pants under his arm and grabbed her foot with his hand. It was warm and soft and he groaned silently to himself as her shirt rode up further with the movement of her leg and her blue panties were bared completely to his roving eye. His eyes fixed to hers and he saw that moment when she realized the predicament they were in. She reached down to fix her shirt, but it was too late. The image of her in those lacy blue panties was burned into his memory. He rested her foot against his chest while he worked the leg of her pants over her. Once he had the one leg started, he grabbed up her other foot and slid the material over that leg too. He placed her feet on the ground one at a time and she lay there quietly, her chest heaving as she watched him. He helped her sit up on the edge of the bed and he knelt in front of her. He slid his hand up one of her legs and then repeated the action for her other leg, making her breath catch. Grinning wickedly, he didn't stop at her thigh this time and instead kept going until his hand was palming her heat. She sucked in a breath and he glanced at her and winked. Knowing exactly what he was doing, he flicked his finger across the center of her panties where her slit lay beneath. Her eyes fluttered closed and he removed his hand to slide her pants up as far as they would go with her sitting on the bed. She still sat there with her eyes closed, breathing heavily, and he gripped her chin with his hand and tilted her face up to his.

He waited until she slowly opened her eyes and stared at him, "Ya think 'bout that while ya in tha shower, alright?" He whispered gruffly.

Her lips parted and she nodded slowly, her eyes taking on a glazed look. He smirked and brought his lips to hers for a rough, demanding, kiss. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and swirled it with hers, tasting her before pulling away. He grabbed her arm with his hand and pulled her up from the bed.

"Ya gon' have ta pull ya pants up tha rest o' tha way darlin'," He whispered near her ear when she made no attempt to move.

She blushed and quickly pulled the pants up over her hips and bottom. He watched as she zipped them, but left them unbuttoned so as not to apply too much pressure to the wound. She followed along behind him to the doorway and he whipped the heavy sheet away with a flourish and gestured for her to exit. She did so and Merle followed behind her. She shuffled along and Merle pretended to ignore her as she moved tentatively, but his eyes were watching her discreetly for any signs of distress. They met Maggie in the kitchen and Merle watched as Maggie took stock of Beth and then Maggie nodded at Merle, the relief in her eyes evident.

Merle brushed past them and headed for the hallway and the showers. He called over his shoulder, "I'll be waitin' ladies. She give ya any trouble, ya be sure ta let me know an' I'll take care of it," Merle winked at Beth who flushed furiously.

Maggie glanced between the two of them, but remained silent and Merle could see the questions in her eyes. She wasn't a fool. She would know that there was something going on between him and her sister, but Merle didn't care. It wasn't like they could hide the fact that he was sleeping with her any longer, whether people believed there was more going on between them than sleep or not. It might be wrong on so many levels, but then again Merle hadn't ever been right.

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**_Review?_**


	25. Chapter 25

_**Oh y'all! I do love y'all so! I decided to gift y'all with another deliciously sinful chapter because Merle was calling to me in that sexy, gruff, voice of his and I couldn't resist! I hope you enjoy this snippet as much as I enjoyed writing it!**_

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Beth fumed silently while Maggie helped her take her clothes off. She was mad at her sister for sending for Merle without her knowledge. She knew that she was being difficult, but she had woken up in a cranky mood and having her family crowd her hadn't helped matters any. Maggie finished taking her clothes off and turned on the shower spray for Beth before stepping away. Maggie stepped away silently, but not so far that she couldn't be of assistance if needed.

Beth sighed, "I don't need you to watch over me Maggie. I think I can handle a shower," She said.

Maggie arched a brow, putting her hand on her hip, "Yeah that was evident this morning when we all but had to drag you down here. I had to send Carl for Merle for crying out loud!" Maggie fussed.

Beth dipped her head back and let the lukewarm water run over her hair, "Thanks for the heads up on that by the way."

"What's with the two of you anyway? How come Merle can get you to do things that we can't?" Maggie demanded.

Beth felt her face grow warm and she kept her head tilted back to hide the redness from her sister, "He's just insistent," Beth replied.

Maggie made a face, "_I'm_ insistent too, but you wouldn't listen to me. You're sleeping with him, aren't you?" Maggie asked.

Beth gasped and inhaled a small mouthful of water that immediately made her cough and spray water everywhere. "Jesus, Maggie! It's none of your business. Just leave me alone!" Beth yelled.

She had never yelled at her sister like that before. Maggie's eyes clouded with hurt and she turned away from Beth before Beth could take it back. She headed for the exit, her strides long and determined.

"Maggie wait!" Beth called, but her sister ignored her and slammed the door closed on her way out. She could hear voices outside the door and she imagined that Merle was probably still standing right outside thoroughly enjoying the show that was being put on for him today. She snatched the shampoo from the shelf and angrily rubbed it into her hair.

It wasn't often that she got mad so why couldn't everyone just let her deal with her anger and leave her alone for five minutes. She hadn't expected the sudden question about Merle. She had known that sooner or later it was coming, but she didn't think Maggie would bring it up on today of all days. She wasn't prepared to deal with that right now. Not when she herself wasn't even sure what was going on between the two of them most days. She ran her fingers through her long locks as the water pounded over her face. Her hand felt for the soap and she began to wash herself, keeping her eyes closed and her head under the spray. She skirted around the area of the wound with the soap. With her other hand she reached with trembling fingers to softly touch the wound. She swallowed deeply and felt for the ledge to set the soap back when she encountered warm _flesh_. Her eyes flew open and she jerked her head up to stare into Merle's steel blue eyes. He was leaning on the other side of the ledge, obviously enjoying the show she wasn't aware she had been putting on for him.

"Don't you knock?" She asked sharply.

He chuckled, "I see ya still got some o' that fire in yer belly. Shocked tha hell outta me when ya sent yer sister packin' like that darlin'. Didn't peg ya for it," He said.

She exhaled loudly, "I didn't mean to. It just came out all wrong. She just wouldn't be quiet," Beth said.

"What was she sayin'?" Merle asked.

"Nothing important," Beth replied quickly and Merle gave her a knowing glance that indicated he already knew of the conversation that had taken place. "You were _listening_ to our conversation, weren't you?" Beth accused.

Merle shrugged, "What tha hell else am I s'posed ta do fer entertainment value?" He asked as his eyes skirted down her body.

She felt the heat of his gaze all of the way to her toes and she shivered slightly underneath the water. His eyes narrowed onto her bullet wound and a frown briefly crossed his face. He grabbed the soap that she still held in her hand and placed it on the ledge before walking around so that he stood in front of her. She swallowed and backed up slightly causing him to grin wickedly.

"Tell me no an' I'll stop," He demanded softly.

She tried to form the words, but they just wouldn't come and a part of her knew that it was because she secretly wanted him. "I...the wound. We can't," She sputtered.

He ignored her and walked over to the door and flipped the lock, the sound echoing throughout the room. He made his way back over to her slowly like he an animal stalking their prey. She stood under the stream of water that had now grown cold and bit her lip as he tugged his shirt over his head. She watched with bated breath as it hit the floor and then he worked on his boots and pants. Once they were off, he pulled off his prosthetic and set it with his things on the floor. He grabbed one of the benches that were no longer bolted to the floor and dragged it over underneath the spray of water as she watched.

He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a condom, his eyes drifting to hers. He placed it on the bench, not once breaking eye contact. He sat down on the bench in all his naked glory and she drank him in with her eyes. His muscles were slick from the spray of the water hitting him lightly across his chest and shoulders. His long powerful legs were stretched out before him and she marveled at how relaxed he was even in his nakedness. His cock jutted up straight and stiff between his legs and as she watched he wrapped his hand around it and pumped it a couple of times.

"Come on over here darlin'. Don't be gettin' shy on me now," He teased.

She stepped forward on shaky legs and stopped just in front of him so that she was between the valley of his thighs. He leaned forward and took her breast into his mouth, sucking on the tip and making her shift forward, planting her hands on his shoulders. He didn't touch her anywhere else as his tongue teased her nipples into hard peaks. She moaned softly as he grazed his teeth across one of them, nipping at her lightly. He murmured his approval and she felt his hand at her core, his finger teasing between her folds. He groaned as he slid his finger all of the way inside of her.

"Fuck me. Ya never disappoint," He muttered.

She blushed at his comment and he used his other arm to nudge her head down to his so that he could capture her lips. He ran his tongue over the curve of her mouth before slipping it inside of her and teasing it against hers. She sank into the growing familiarity of his warmth and let him kiss her until she had to pull back for breath. His finger was still teasing her, the pad rubbing slowly back and forth over her clit. She wiggled her hips to speed him up as she tried to seek out relief.

He tsked, "Now, now, ya tryin' ta take over tha show an' ya jus' need ta relax. I'll let ya lead anotha time," He promised softly and her toes curled into the tile at the hint of more times like these with him. She drew in a shuddering breath as he removed his finger and grabbed the condom from its position on the ledge. He handed it to her, "You can do tha honors."

She grabbed the foil packet from his fingers and tore it open with trembling hands. She hadn't ever put on a condom before and she pulled it out and stared at it a moment. He made no move to help her and she rolled it with her fingers to figure out which end to roll over him. She leaned over slightly and placed it on the head of his cock and used her other hand to roll it down his throbbing length. He hissed between his teeth by the time she made it to the bottom. He pushed her back gently and used his foot to spread her legs apart as he closed his. He pulled her forward and then guided her down onto his cock inch by inch so that she was sitting on his lap facing him.

She moaned at the depth and he bucked his hips up from the bench slightly. She clutched at his shoulders weakly, "Merle," She whispered his name like a prayer.

He closed his lips over the column of her throat, "Ride me darlin'," He ordered.

She obeyed and using his shoulders for leverage, lifted herself off of him and then slowly sank back down. He bent his head and suckled at her nipples as she continued the rhythm. The cold spray of water at her back gave her chills and added a more erotic feel as their bodies glided over each other with just the right amount of friction. She increased her speed, mindful of her wound, and moaned as the sensations built inside of her. His hand reached behind her and grabbed her ass, squeezing softly. She exploded around him then and she closed her eyes as she rocked through her orgasm. She felt his finger drift between them and he found her clit and rubbed it softly, making her clench around him a second time and he growled as he pumped his own release inside of her.

She rested her forehead against his shoulder as she tried to come down from her cloud of euphoria. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling against hers. After a few minutes, he eased her up and off of him so that he could get rid of the condom. She rinsed off under the chilly water and he stepped under after her, being careful not to get his hair wet. They got dressed quietly, neither of them speaking except for quiet glances. She didn't know what or if she was supposed to say anything after that so she kept her mouth shut. She had never imagined to be able to have sex like that in a shower of all places. She knew she wouldn't forget this memory for a long time coming.

He unlocked the door and followed her down the hallway and back through the doorway to the kitchen area. He reached down into his pocket for his blade and fixed it to his prosthetic as they entered. Daryl and Rick were sitting at the table talking in low voices while Rick fed Judith and Beth felt her face grow hot as their attention was directed their way. Rick averted his eyes after taking in that they were both damp from a shower, but Daryl narrowed his eyes at Merle.

"Merle," Daryl began.

Merle cut him off, "Had orders ta straighten this one out. Ya gotta problem then jus' sign ya name to tha damn list an' I'll get ta ya when I can," He said smartly.

She felt his hand on her back and he guided her through the doorway to their cell block. She made it all of the way back to her cell before she snickered. He glanced at her a moment and then the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

She covered her mouth with her hand, "I can't _believe_ you said that Merle Dixon!" She hissed at him through her smile.

He ignored her and gestured to the bed, "Getcha ass on in there an' I reckon' if ya play nice I'll be back ta sleep with ya again tonight," He said.

She obeyed and smiled up at him, "Deal."

He winked, "That's what I thought."

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**_Show me some love y'all! Long live Meth! ;-)_**


	26. Chapter 26

_**Once again, this fic just keeps calling to me! I don't know what it is, but there's just something about Merle that I love so. Oh wait, maybe I do! It's his brash personality, his take-charge attitude, and his absolutely sexy body! LOL! I've had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Michael Rooker before and let me tell you: He is EVEN BETTER in person! I get so much enjoyment out of writing his character and I apologize to those waiting on my other fic. I've got a chapter started, but it's just not coming at the moment. I would like to take this time to thank those of you who have been reviewing because without y'all, I would probably not continue like I have:**_

_**Athlete Girl: My dear, you are the head cheerleader for Merle Dixon and I do so love your enthusiasm to this story!**_

_**Brazen Hussy: You never fail to leave me a kind review. I only hope that my Meth lives up to all y'alls standards! **_

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_**So THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Y'all ROCK! SHIT YES! ;-)**_

* * *

When Beth woke up from her nap she felt relaxed and well rested. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered what she and Merle had done in the showers. She would never look at that bench in the same way ever again.

She had just slid to the edge of the bed when Carol poked her head inside of the cell, "Hey you, dinner's ready. You coming?" Carol asked with a smile.

Beth fought back a yawn and nodded, "I'll be right there," She said.

As soon as Carol was gone she stood up carefully and walked to the tiny scratched up mirror on the wall of her cell. She was shocked at how her hair looked and she quickly found a brush to make it more presentable. With that done she sat on the edge of the bed and put her boots on slowly so as not to irritate her wound.

Everyone was already crowding into line in the kitchen and Beth looked around for Merle before walking to stand in the back of the line.

"He's on watch," Glenn's voice spoke from behind her.

Beth jumped at his sudden appearance, "You scared the crap outta me!" She laughed lightly.

He squeezed her shoulder gently, "Sorry."

"It's okay," She lowered her voice slightly. "How is Maggie?"

Glenn sighed and she saw his eyes drift to Maggie as she received her plate of food from the head of the line, "She's in a mood for sure. What did you guys argue about? It's been a while since I've seen her this moody."

Beth bit her lip and stared down at her lip before sneaking a glance at her sister. Maggie quickly averted her eyes from the two of them as she realized Beth was staring at her. "It's nothing really. I've just been crabby all day and I took it out on her. I need to apologize and make things right again," She replied.

Glenn nodded, "That would be great. Maybe then I won't have to sleep outside the cell block with Martinez tonight," He chuckled.

Beth frowned as she realized that the Hispanic man was nowhere to be found, "Where _is_ Martinez?" She asked.

Glenn's face grew slightly red and he cleared his throat. Immediately Beth knew something was going on. Glenn was a really horrible liar and she was sure there was more to this story than he was telling her at the moment.

"He's in cell block A," Glenn whispered. "But you _did not_ hear that from me, got it?" He asked.

"What?" Beth hissed and Glenn tried to shush her, but she wasn't having it. "Whose idea was that?" She asked hotly.

She moved forward as the line moved and Glenn flushed deeper, "I'm not sure," He muttered.

Beth gave him a glare and placed her hands on her hips, "Spit it out," She demanded.

Glenn sighed, "It was Merle's, alright? He thinks that Martinez is connected with those two men who broke into the prison. He thinks the Governor planted Martinez here as a spy."

Beth was cut off from replying to that last statement as she took her turn in line. When Carol handed her an extra plate, she glanced at the women in confusion.

"I figured you would want to take one to Merle," Carol said. "We cleaned out the very front tower and he's using that one tonight."

Beth nodded grimly, "Oh yeah. I wanna take one to him alright," She said as she brushed past a flustered Glenn to head to the guard tower.

There had been talk about cleaning out the very front tower for some time and they must have decided to get it done because of the other burning. She headed down the hill towards the tower, trying to figure out what she was going to say to him. She didn't believe that Martinez was guilty. He just didn't act like a guilty man and he had even spent time talking to her. She was positive that this was more of Merle's jealousy at her talking to him coming out than anything else. The fact that they had placed him in cell block A, _death row_, just made her more angry. That cell block hadn't even been properly cleaned yet. She sighed as she headed up the stairs.

* * *

Merle spotted her coming across the yard and a small smile played at his lips as he watched her carrying something in her hands. He figured it was about time for dinner since his stomach was growling and she must be bringing him a plate.

The small smile that teased the corners of his mouth disappeared though, as she opened the door and he saw the way her forehead was creased in anger as she entered the small room. She walked over and handed the plate of food out to him which he accepted with a nod and a curious stare.

"Somethin' wrong suga'?" He asked.

She paced the tiny room and then sat her plate down on the only table they had in the room. She looked over at him accusingly, "Why did you send Martinez to cell block A? Why did you lock him up?" She suddenly demanded.

He sucked his teeth as he stared at her quivering form. He hadn't really given the man much thought today. He had been focused entirely on her and their time spent in the showers played over and over in his mind like a scene from an adult movie.

It had been his idea to lock Martinez back up. Of course Merle had had to discuss it with Daryl and Rick beforehand but the two of them had agreed that it was the best course of action at the time. No one knew who those two men really were and how they had known which ways to go in the prison. Merle wasn't entirely sure it was Martinez, but he wasn't taking any chances. He hadn't been able to keep tabs on the man twenty-four seven since they had let him out of that other cell. For all he knew the man could have fed information through the fences to some of the Governor's people. It was awfully suspicious that as soon as they had let Martinez from his cell good that those two men had shown up.

Beth took a few steps towards him and pressed her finger into his hard chest, "Answer me Merle Dixon!" She spat.

Merle raised a brow and ever so gently reached down to remove her finger from his chest. If she had been anyone other than who she was, she would have had a broken finger. As it was though, he didn't think he could ever hurt her. Well, _intentionally_ anyway.

"Why tha sudden interest darlin'? Ya got somethin' goin' on with tha wetback?" He asked crudely.

Her eyes widened, "How _dare_ you! Do you honestly think I'm spreading my legs for him after what we've been doing together?" She asked hotly.

The image of her spread out beneath the Hispanic, flushed and moaning made his blood boil. He clenched his jaw, "What tha hell am I s'posed ta think when ya come in here so hell bent on protectin' a man ya hardly know?"

She crossed her arms and turned her head away from him. He growled as he saw a lone tear slide down her cheek. Doing the only thing he knew to do to try and ease the tension between them, he set his plate down and grabbed her roughly, pulling her into his arms. He lowered his lips to hers and poured every ounce of possessiveness he had into the kiss. She melted into him for a few seconds and then she pulled away, slapping at his arms. He let her go and she stared at him with her chest heaving.

"Is that your answer to everything? Sex?" She asked.

He could feel his anger building. Here he was, trying to tell her with actions how he felt about her and she thought he was trying to simply fuck her.

So when he opened his mouth next, it was his anger that did all the talking and not himself, "Yeah," He said gruffly. "I'm only in this fer tha _pussy_. Didn'tcha know?" He asked sarcastically.

She gasped and before he even knew it was coming, she had slapped him hard across the face. He had to admit that it smarted a little, but he figured he deserved it after saying that. He made no move to retaliate in any way and she whirled around and left the tower. He listened as her steps descended the stairs and then he spotted her plate still sitting on the table untouched. Angrily he took his hand and knocked the table, sending it flying across the room, the plate and its contents coating the wall. He stalked outside to the railing and glared out towards the trees, counting down the minutes until his shift was over.

* * *

Beth slipped inside unnoticed, or so she thought, and quickly found herself headed over to A block. She entered the quiet block slowly, her breathing a little shallow as she tried to listen for any dangers lurking nearby. The only light was a small lantern by the doorway and a sliver of light spilling from one of the cells about midway down. She took a deep breath and tried to open the door to the cell block but it was locked. She yanked several times and then kicked at the bottom of it with her boot.

She heard noises and looked up to see Martinez peering out of his cell, trying to see what was making all of the noise.

She sighed, "It's Beth," She said.

His features relaxed a bit and he smiled softly, "What are you doing out this way chica?" He asked. "Lost?" He teased.

She shook her head and then realized he couldn't see her all that well, "No. I just found out that you had been put over here. Thought I would come and see how you were," She said.

He shrugged, "I'm stuck in a cold, dark, prison. How do you think I am?" He snorted and then sighed. "Heard you got shot by Dixon. You feeling better?"

She smiled and her hand unconsciously drifted to her wound, "I am. He did it by accident though. Merle would never hurt me," She said quietly.

Her head jerked to the hallway as she thought she heard a noise and she gripped her knife in her hand as she squinted into the dark hallway trying to see. She relaxed after a few minutes and turned back to the cell block.

"Yeah. Even a blind man can see the love that big ape has for you," Martinez remarked. "God only knows what you see in him."

Beth laughed softly, "He's...Merle's different when he's not around all of the others. He's not as bad as everyone thinks he is. He's just misunderstood."

Now it was Martinez's turn to laugh, "Aren't we all?" He gestured to the cell that he was in to prove his point. "I didn't do it," He added softly.

Beth swallowed, "Didn't do what?" She asked.

"I didn't have anything to do with those men being sent here. I swear to you chica. I've done things...lots of things in my life that I'm ashamed of, but I'm not owning up to something I didn't do."

Beth nodded as she leaned her head against the bars on the door, "Well I better get back before they start looking for me," She said.

"Be careful," He called out softly.

She didn't reply as she backed away from the cell and made her way back down the hallway. It was darker now than when she had first come through and she foolishly cursed herself for not bringing a flashlight. She held her knife steady as she walked, shakily putting one foot in front of the other in case she ran into something.

"Have a nice chat?" Merle's voice drawled from behind her.

She gasped and turned around so fast that she brushed against his chest. His hand closed over her arm and his fingers brushed over her skin in a light caress. He moved his hand up to cup the back of her neck and pressed his lips softly to hers in a chaste kiss. He took her knife from her hand and slipped it back into her pocket. Then he shocked her by grabbing her hand with his and pulling her along beside him. He moved them effortlessly through the dark hallways until they stepped out into the faint light of the kitchen area. Carol was the only one left in the kitchen beside Carl who was playing with Judith on a blanket on the floor.

Merle tugged her over to Carol, "Ya got any o' that stuff left over from dinner?" He asked.

Carol glanced at him and then nodded, moving to a bowl that she had covered with a lid. She scooped a couple of spoonfuls onto a plate and handed it to him. He let go of Beth's hand and accepted it, "Thanks." He nodded and Carol gave him a shocked look before smiling at him in return.

Merle gestured for her to move in front of him and she proceeded around him and headed for her cell. He followed her inside and set the plate down before covering the doorway with the sheet. She sat down on the edge of the bed, unsure of what to do at the moment. She hadn't ever seen him like this. He was almost..._gentle_.

He didn't speak as he dragged her only chair over and placed it in front of her. He grabbed the plate and balanced it on his lap. Then he picked up the spoon and scooped up some of the food before holding it in front of her mouth. Her eyes locked with his as she opened her mouth and he placed the spoonful inside. She chewed quietly, her eyes still locked with his. They repeated these motions several times until the plate was cleared and she hadn't realized how hungry she had been.

"Did you eat?" She asked softly.

He shook his head, "No."

She started to stand, "You need to eat too."

He stopped her with his hand, "Sit. Ain't worried 'bout me," He replied shortly.

His tone of voice suggested he wasn't in the mood for arguments and she slowly sank back down onto the mattress. He set the plate aside and moved the chair back. He kept his eyes on her as he removed his prosthetic and placed it on the chair. He toed off his boots and then slipped the shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. Her eyes drank in his hard chest. She would never grow tired of looking at him, she thought.

He didn't remove anymore clothing, but instead bent in front of her and removed her boots and then she helped him to get her pants off. He motioned for her to scoot and so she slid over against the wall in the bed and he turned down the light on the lantern before sliding in after her. She expected him to make a move on her and she would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed when all he did was wrap his arm around her and pull her snugly against him. She could feel the slight hardness in between his legs but he made no more moves nor mention of anything else. She finally sighed and her eyes began to grow heavy with sleep. Moments before she drifted off, she felt his lips place a whisper of a kiss against her forehead.

* * *

**_See? That wasn't so bad, right? Progress is being made here. _**

**_Alright! Review me! :-)_**


	27. Chapter 27

_**Mornin' y'all! It's early here, but I wanted to get this one out! This fic seems to plague me every time I go to sleep at night and I can't leave it alone! Or maybe it's all of y'all and you're encouraging reviews, you think? ;)**_

* * *

Beth awoke with a start sometime during the night when a crack of thunder echoed through the walls of the prison. She shivered as lightning flashed through the windows and she curled into Merle's body, seeking comfort. Merle shifted in his sleep and the sheet slid down to reveal the very obvious bulge in his pants. Her eyes widened and she peered at him in the darkness to see if he was awake, but his eyes were still closed, his breathing uninterrupted.

She studied the planes of his face, softened in his sleep relaxed state. She felt bad about everything that had happened earlier in the day especially about slapping Merle. She knew she had struck a nerve with that move, but strangely enough he had been the most gentle that she had ever seen him since. The last thing she had wanted was for him to think that she had feelings for Martinez. She felt bad for Martinez and she didn't feel like he was being dishonest or deceitful. She knew she was naive to a lot of things in the world, but she was usually a pretty judge of character. That's why she had known that Merle was different from the start.

It was laughable thinking about her and Martinez considering she _loved_ Merle. She was absolutely sure that she loved the man despite their ability to effectively communicate sometimes. She didn't _want_ to love Merle, but only because that made her heart vulnerable. She was terrified that something would happen to him now and she didn't know if her heart could take it if it did. Seeing that gentleness in him earlier had only managed to increase her love for the man. There wasn't a whole lot she even knew about Merle really, except that she loved him.

"Ya should be sleepin'," Merle's rough voice whispered.

"Storm woke me up," She replied.

She positioned her head on his chest so that she could look at him in the dim light. He scoffed, "Jus' noise. Ain't gonna hurt ya none," He said.

"Merle?"

"Hm?"

She took a deep breath and hoped that maybe she wasn't pushing too far too soon, "What were you like before this?" She asked.

She was greeted with silence and she couldn't quite make out his expression. He shifted slightly, but he wouldn't let her move her head when she tried. He was quiet for so long in fact, that she started to take the question back and pretend it never happened.

Then he spoke, "I was...shit darlin', I weren't no one ya'd wanna be with," He responded.

"I don't believe that," She insisted.

He huffed, "I was inta drugs an' not tha lil' petty shit neither. Doin' coke an' whatever else I could get my hands on...meth," He added.

Her mind was reeling over this news. She had figured he had probably dabbled a little into the drugs, but she hadn't imagined anything like what he was telling her. "Why?" She asked.

"What'cha mean w_hy_?" He asked.

"Why did you do drugs? Were you trying to run from something or was it just for fun?"

She had to move her head as Merle pulled himself up in the bed. His eyes bored into her in the dark and she sat up, facing him and waited. He ran his hand over his face tiredly.

"What's with tha curiosity George?" He asked.

She grabbed his hand and absentmindedly ran her fingers over the rough calluses that told a story all on their own, "Because I love you and I wanna know," She said in a soft voice. She hadn't looked at him, but she had felt the slight tension in his hand when she had said it. Finally she lifted her eyes to his, not being able to stand the silence any longer.

_Please don't let him say I'm too young to know what I want,_ she thought.

"I can't give ya that love back," He finally said.

"That's fine. I don't need you too. I just wanted you to know," She stated.

He sighed heavily and pulled his hand from hers. He swung his legs to the floor beside the bed and stared off at the wall. She was left staring at the muscled planes of his back and the scars that marred his beautiful skin. Climbing to her knees she crawled close to him and kissed the flesh between his shoulder and neck. An unmistakable shiver rolled through him and she pressed her lips there once more, lingering a moment longer than the first time.

"Christ, ya try'na kill me aren't ya?" He said.

Beth didn't respond and instead she stepped off of the bed and pushed her way between his legs. She stared up into his face, "Let me love you," She whispered.

Something flashed in his eyes and then he lowered his head and kissed her. This kiss wasn't like any of his other kisses. This kiss was slow and sensual, _needy_. She kissed him back with equal passion and his arm wrapped around her, pulling her back onto the bed on top of him. They kissed for a few minutes, their tongues swimming around each other lazily until she finally had to come up for air.

His cock was straining through the material of his jeans as she slid away from his lips until she stopped at the zipper of his jeans. With shaking hands she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans.

He growled low in his throat, "_Fuck_," He hissed. "_No._"

She glanced up at him in confusion, "I want to and you're not going to stop me," She said defiantly.

He raised a brow at her as his breath came out in a hiss and finally he nodded at her jerkily. She shimmied his jeans and he lifted his hips until she had them and his boxers off. His cock stood up straight and proud, a drop of cum glistening at the tip. She took a deep breath as she knelt between his legs and leaned over to take him in her mouth.

At first she just kissed the tip of him and she felt his muscles tense. The liquid that dotted the top tasted bland and slightly salty, but it wasn't horrible by any means. She paused then, not really sure how to proceed, but not wanting to let him down all the same.

"Tell me how...to please you," She said.

He grabbed her hand and guided it to his cock, wrapping her fingers around the width of him and showing her how to stroke him. "Jus' put yer mouth on him an' move yer hand up an' down," He said. "Ain't gonna take much," His voice came out a little raspy sounding.

She nodded and kissed him with her mouth while she worked on him with her hand like he had shown her. He groaned, and encouraged, she slid her mouth a fraction of an inch down the length of him. He growled low in his throat and she repeated the action, trying to take in more of him this time. His body was rigid beneath her arms as she worked him and she hoped that she was doing it right. She was trying to remember everything she had heard about blow jobs over the years, but her mind was coming up blank. His hand fisted into her hair and he applied gentle pressure there as she continued to slide her mouth up and down his length. He was mostly quiet aside from his heavier than usual breathing until he began to throb slightly inside of her mouth.

He tugged on her shirt, "Gonna cum," He muttered. She braced herself for it, but he yanked harder until she was pulled off of him and he grabbed his cock and pumped it once as the milky white substance flowed out of the tip and down into a pool at his belly. She stared at it in fascination. He lay back with a sigh and she looked over at his face.

"Why did you pull me away?" She asked.

"Ya weren't ready fer that," Merle responded. He sat up and reached around until he found his boxers and proceeded to wipe off his belly.

"How do you know I wasn't ready?" Beth asked carefully.

Merle glanced over at her, "Ya gotta question everythin'?" He asked.

She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms, "So what if I do?" She challenged.

He tossed the soiled boxers onto the floor and grabbed her foot, catching her off guard and tugging her so that she fell down onto her back on the bed. She squealed and struggled to get away, but he held tight to her as he climbed back into the bed. He slipped his finger around her panties and inside of her and she let out a gasp that ended on a moan. He chuckled and smiled wickedly at her before reaching up to hook his finger into the band of her panties. Thunder crackled outside as the storm raged on around them. She closed her eyes, but before he could pull her panties off someone knocked on the bars of her cell.

Merle's eyes snapped up to the closed curtain and he quickly climbed off the bed and grabbed his pants as he crossed to the doorway. He pulled the curtain back just enough to see Daryl standing outside of the cell.

Merle started to roll his eyes at the intrusion, but then he saw the expression on his brother's face and he paused, "What's goin' on?" He asked quickly.

"Martinez is gone. Went ta check up on him in tha storm an' tha damn cell block door is wide tha hell open as is his cell. He ain't there," Daryl said.

Merle swore, "Son of a bitch! Lil' bastard done escaped, huh? Anybody else know?" Merle asked as he worked on getting his pants on.

Daryl let out a sigh and averted his eyes away from the flashing nudity of his brother, "Rick an' Morgan are in tha kitchen goin' over a plan ta comb tha prison. It's likely he's still in 'ere somewhere," Daryl said.

Merle nodded, his forehead creased in concentration, "I'll meet ya in tha kitchen in five."

Beth watched as Merle crossed back over to the bed and began putting on his socks and boots. She touched his arm, "What do you think happened?" She asked.

He shrugged, "Dunno, but I'm goin' ta find tha hell out."

More thunder boomed loudly and felt like it shook the prison with its rumble. Beth jumped and grabbed onto Merle before she realized what she was doing, "Sorry," She mumbled.

"Put ya pants on an' go bunk with ya daddy 'til we get back," He ordered.

"Merle I'm fine. We'll lock the door at the entrance to the cell block an-"

He stood up so quickly that she fell backwards onto the bed. He pointed his finger at her, "Do as I say. Don't need ya doin' nothin' stupid while I'm gone," He said.

She looked up into the tense planes of his face and then nodded, "Of course. I'll stay with daddy until you get back. Don't worry."

He slipped his shirt over his head and fastened his prosthetic before flicking his gaze to hers, "Ain't worried," He mumbled as he whipped open the curtain and exited the cell.

* * *

_**So I hoped this didn't seem out of character for our couple. I'm always super critical of my work and I second guess everything. So I hope it's good!**_

_****Y'all didn't forget that the Governor is still out there, right? ;-)**_

_**Review?**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Y'all are going to kill me for taking so long to get this chapter out! I'm so so SO sorry this took so long! I never intended for it to be this long between the last chapter and this one, but things happened in real life that were out of my control and I couldn't get back to this one as quickly as I would have liked. I'm super sorry I left y'all hanging like that! I promise that the next chapter won't take as long to get out. I had half of this one written for a bit, but I just had to get the time to finish it. It's early here and I'm drinking coffee as I write so I hope I haven't missed anything as far as errors go. I'm surprised that a few of you haven't pm'ed me wanting to know what was going on, LOL! Anyways, enjoy this one and I'm fixing to start on the next to hopefully be out tomorrow! Thanks y'all!**_

* * *

Rain pounded against the walls of the prison and inside the group was scrambling around to find things to catch the water dripping down from leaks and try to remain calm. Merle noticed that those who were on guard duty had been called inside and there was a meeting of sorts going on in the kitchen now. Rick was pacing back and forth in front of a table where Morgan, Michonne, Glenn, and Maggie sat. Daryl was standing off to the side with his arms crossed, listening. Merle walked over and stood next to his brother.

"This don't sit right with me lil' brotha," Merle commented under his breath as he worked to sharpen his blade and check over his other weapons. He noticed that his brother was gnawing on his damn fingers again like some animal and he shook his head at his old habits.

Daryl nodded in agreement, "Me neither. I'm gon' kill that bastard if'n I find him in here. Shoot first, ask questions later," Daryl said.

Merle watched as the rest of the group slowly trickled in and huddled around the doorway to the cells. Beth's eyes met his and she boldly walked over to stand next to him despite several stares from the others as she did it. Merle smirked and briefly considered giving them all the finger, but decided against it as Rick began to speak. It wasn't the time nor place for any of that.

"Alright. Here's what's going on at the moment. Martinez is missing," There were murmurs from the group, but for the most part it appeared that everyone had already heard the news. "Daryl was the one to go check on him and discovered both the cell block door and the door to his cell wide open. Obviously someone had to let him out," Rick said.

"I don't feel like any of our group would have let him out though Rick," Hershel spoke up.

Rick shook his head, "I don't either. We don't have much and we've become a tight-knit group so I'm sure it's not one of our own."

"But who does that leave?" Carol asked.

"It wouldn't be hard I imagine for someone to find a set of keys lying around in this prison somewhere that might open that door. Which leaves me to think that maybe the Governor had a hand in this somewhere. Especially after those two men were caught here," Rick explained. "Obviously we're going to have to search the prison from top to bottom. This could take a while and I hate to do it, but I don't know any other way. We'll split into groups and mark off areas with these pieces of chalk as we clear them," Rick set several pieces of chalk onto a table.

"Someone's gotta stay behind an' watch out fer tha others," Merle said. "If he's got himself a key fer that one cell, then it's only natural ta assume he can get in here with tha rest o' our people. I ain't too keen with this idea. I think he's tryin' ta split us up, make us weaker before attackin'."

Rick sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "That very well could be the case, but we can't just sit here on that chance and wait to see. I want this bastard taken down any way we can," He said. "Okay, here's how we do it. Myself, Maggie and Glenn will take one section. Daryl, Carol, and Morgan can take another and Merle I need you to stay here with Michonne and keep a watch up front."

Merle scowled. He wanted to be back there with the others searching, but he knew that it was better for Beth if he were to stay behind and protect those that weren't as skilled. He realized that the Governor would be looking for Michonne as well and that meant that she could potentially cause harm to the rest of them just by being there. He watched as the two teams sorted through weapons and then he went over and selected out several more guns for the rest of them. He slipped Beth one of the smaller guns and she glanced up at him with worry.

"Ya remember what I taught ya?" He asked softly.

She nodded, "I remember."

"Don't hesitate ta shoot tha bastard," He said.

"I won't," She promised.

He sighed as another rumble of thunder sounded from outside of the prison. It seemed as if the storm was going to stick around for a bit and that made Merle even more convinced that the Governor was waiting in the wings somewhere for his chance. The storm would provide him with a good cover in the tombs as it would make it harder to hear when they were walking through. Merle caught his brother's eye and stepped away from Beth to talk to Daryl on the side.

"Keep yer eyes an' ears open. This ain't sittin' well with me. Tha storm's gonna make it easier fer tha bastard ta hide," Merle said.

Daryl murmured his agreement, "I got my end. Ya jus' make sure everyone in here's safe. Might wanna lock Lil' Asskicker an Hershel in a cell an' barricade 'em in somehow," He suggested.

Merle pursed his lips as he mulled it over, "I'll figure somethin' out. He wants tha ninja an' he'll do whatever he has ta do ta get 'er. She took his eye an' his lil' girl. He's gon' make 'er suffer."

"Yeah, well jus' keep yer eyes peeled an' I'll do tha same," Daryl left him then and walked over to where his little group was preparing themselves to head into the tombs.

* * *

Beth watched Merle as he talked to Daryl and she couldn't help the impending sense of doom that she was feeling at the moment. Gone was the relaxed expression Merle had worn just a while ago and in it's place was a tension that she was familiar with on his face. She couldn't figure out if it was something to actually worry about just yet or if it was just that the storm was setting that eerie mood. She had never liked storms. Even though she knew that they couldn't harm her inside the prison, they still made her a little jumpy all the same.

The others filed out of the room and headed into the tombs, the darkness seeming to swallow them up as the walked through the doorway. She followed the others back into the cell block and saw Carl and Michonne stop to talk with Merle. She couldn't hear what was being said, but they were speaking in low voices and Carl looked irritated. She knew that Carl wanted to be searching the tombs with the others. He was growing up and she thought he was trying to take on too much responsibility too soon. Her daddy was inside of Rick's cell rocking Judith slowly back to sleep and she smiled at the image the two of them presented as she observed them silently.

She turned as Merle and the others filed inside and she was caught off guard as Merle grabbed her arm and half dragged her down the walkway to her cell. She barely had time to keep up as he pushed her gently inside and closed the curtain. Beth frowned at him in concern, but before she could say anything at all he pressed her roughly against the wall and covered her lips with his own. Beth was startled at first and then she quickly surrendered to the kiss, letting his tongue take charge in her mouth. She didn't think she would ever get tired of being with him like this. He pressed his body fully against hers and she was shocked when his erection pressed against the juncture of her legs. She mewled into his mouth and seconds later he pulled away from her just as roughly. A part of her brain was telling her that this was the last thing they should be doing at a time like this, but her body had other ideas.

"What was that?" She asked breathily.

He wiped his arm across his mouth and stared at her heatedly, but he didn't respond. She could feel herself growing wet just from the look he was giving her and she wished that he would say something. Instead he reached out with his hand and unzipped her jeans, his eyes boring into hers. She watched him, her body too far gone in utter desire as he unbuttoned her pants and slid his fingers beneath the band of her panties. He bit back a groan as his fingers encountered her wet heat.

"Got us five minutes. Figure that's 'nough time ta finish what we started," He whispered near her ear.

She shivered as his warm breath caressed her skin and nodded eagerly, "Please," She breathed.

He left her momentarily to cross the room and dig into his bag before producing a condom. He stalked back over to her and began unzipping his pants, "Lower yer jeans," He demanded.

She complied and slid both her jeans and panties down to her ankles. Then she thought about it and pushed them all of the way off. She looked back up at him to see him sliding the condom onto his length, the wrapper between his teeth. Once he was done, he tossed the wrapper to the floor behind him and pulled her to him.

"Wrap ya legs 'round me. Gotta make this quick darlin'," He whispered.

She nodded and using the wall as leverage she lifted her legs, his arm curling beneath her ass to give her a boost and hold her up. He slid his length into her with a sigh and she rocked her hips against his. He bent his head and she felt his lips suckle at the sensitive flesh of her neck as he slid in and out of her quickly. Beth felt herself quiver around him and he growled softly, picking up the pace so that their flesh hit together with a slight slapping noise.

His mouth nibbled at her earlobe, "Give it up fer me sweetheart," He growled into her ear.

Beth didn't know if it was his words or if it was just the fact that they were doing this when they shouldn't be that made her body go over the edge. She clutched at his shoulders with her hands, her nails digging into him as her muscles clenched around him. He hummed his approval and a few thrusts later he followed suit, giving one last thrust as his cock pulsed inside of her. She leaned her head back against the wall and tried to control her breathing. He rested his forehead on her shoulder before slowly withdrawing from her and disposing of the condom.

Beth quickly pulled her clothes back on and fixed her hair so that it wasn't quite so obvious what they had been doing. Rapping on the bars of her cell startled her and she jumped before she heard Michonne's voice.

"Your five minutes are up Dixon," She called through the curtain.

"Be right out," Merle replied.

Beth stared at him questioningly, "You told Michonne?" She asked.

He frowned, "Hell no. She ain't stupid though. She knows what tha hell I wanted them five minutes fer. Who ya think we foolin' darlin'?" He asked.

She blushed, "No one I suppose. I just...it probably wasn't the best time for us to be doing that," She commented.

He zipped his pants and smirked at her, "Trust me. It's better this way. Now I can fuckin' concentrate on what needs ta be done. We both needed tha release," He said.

He lifted the curtain and then paused, looking back at her, "If somethin' goes wrong an' I tell ya ta run, ya run like hell an' don't come out 'til ya know it's safe, ya understand?" He asked.

Beth shook her head, "No, I'm no-"

Merle let go of the curtain and in two strides he was directly in front of her, his eyes boring into hers, "This ain't no time ta play hero darlin'. I tell ya ta run, ya fuckin' promise me ya will run. These men catch ya an' you'll be good as dead by tha time they get done usin' ya," His gaze swept down her body, letting her know without words exactly what those men would do.

She shivered and swallowed thickly, "Alright. I promise to run if you tell me," She said.

He nodded once, his expression carefully blank, "I'll hold ya to that," He said before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

She stood there against the wall for several more moments as she tried to gather her thoughts. She heard the voices of those who were left in the cell block talking quietly and she knew she needed to be out there, but she just couldn't move yet. Even though she had told Merle she would leave if he said to go, she wasn't sure that if the time came that her body would be able to run away and leave him behind to fend for himself. Another shiver ran through her body and she said a silent prayer that nothing bad would happen to any of them. Lightning flickered through the curtain from the windows high in the cell block and she hoped that it wasn't a sign of things to come.

* * *

_**Okay, so I know it's still somewhat of a cliffhanger, but the next chapter is going to probably be much longer and take much more thought. I tried to end it where it wasn't too bad of a spot, so I hope it's okay y'all! **_

_**Review me! :-)**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**Hey y'all! So this one took a while! I got distracted by life in general and that episode on Sunday...WOW. Anyway, this one is my longest yet at 3500 words. It took me a bit to get it all out, but I wanted to get it all done in one chapter and I didn't want to prolong this any longer. I hope it's believable for y'all and not cheesy. Action scenes make me nervous and that's basically what this whole chapter is so I'm sure you can understand my hesitation at posting. I tried to keep it realistic and in character. I hope I suceeded in doing that! Here goes nothing!**_

* * *

It was, it seemed, the night for thunderstorms. As the time passed slowly by without a sign of the others or the Governor, the worry gnawing in Beth's belly increased. The first storm had ended some time ago and for a while all was quiet. Now she began to hear more rumbling in the distance that indicated that they might be due for another storm. She felt a cold chill run through her and she leaned her head back against the cool concrete wall. She was sitting on the floor towards the middle of the cell block. Carl was sitting on the bottom step and her daddy was inside of the cell tending to Judith. Merle and Michonne were each on opposite ends of the cell block, staring out through the metal bars. It was so quiet that Beth thought surely that the others would be able to hear the sound of her heart pounding within her chest. Even Judith had hardly made a sound.

She cast several glances in Merle's direction and each time his face was creased in quiet concentration. She was worried about him and what would happen to all of them if the Governor and his men had made it inside of the prison. What had once seemed so much like a fortress to them upon arriving, now seemed more like a death trap. She had the gun Merle had given her sitting in her lap and her knife was attached to her hip. She was prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect her family, but she prayed that she wouldn't have to.

Her thoughts kept straying to the others and why they hadn't heard back from them yet. Beth had figured that they would have made their way back by now, but then again it was dark and she didn't know if they might have encountered any walkers on their journey. Whatever the reason was, she prayed that they were safe and unharmed at least. It was the only thing she knew to do. She could see her daddy reading his bible in his cell, his head bent and his lips moving silently over the worn book. She let out a silent breath and that was when she heard the gunshot.

Not several gunshots, but just one shot and she gasped as her eyes darted to Merle who now stood stiffly at the door. Carl stood up and went to stand near Michonne and Beth pulled herself to her feet not sure if she should go to Merle or wait. Through the cell bars, she could see her daddy rise from his bed and his gaze met hers as he hobbled to the doorway of his cell and peered out. Neither of them exchanged words; they didn't have to. They all knew that a gunshot inside of a dark prison could only signify trouble, but all they could do was sit and wait restlessly inside. The worst part was that they didn't even know what or who they were waiting for.

Beth waited with a tense expression, her gun tucked closely in her hand by her side, but nothing happened. Merle turned and their eyes met briefly before he looked wordlessly past her to Michonne on the other end. She wasn't sure what was communicated between them, but she knew it couldn't be good. It felt like hours, but was probably minutes later when they started hearing the groans and Beth's eyes grew wide. She drifted closer to Merle without thinking and watched in horror as dozens of walkers spilled into the kitchen area. Merle cursed softly under his breath and she knew what he was thinking: _They had just blocked off their exit._

_"Well, well, well, it seems I should have made this my first stop. The best part seems to already be locked up nice and tight for me."_

Beth knew without asking that that voice could only belong to the Governor himself. The tone of it chilled her to her bones and she searched for a face, but of course there was none.

Merle took her by the arm and shoved her into the cell with Hershel, slamming the door behind him without a word. She grasped the bars and wished he wouldn't have pushed her away, but she understood his need to protect her.

There was a loud laugh over the noisy groans of the walkers and Beth heard the man again, "You really think that's going to save her?"

She saw Merle's jaw clench as he hovered down low next to the doorway, "Fuck you," Merle replied.

"Now that's not nice. And after all I've done for you back in Atlanta when I saved your sorry soul from the herd of walkers that threatened to destroy you. I took you in and did more for you than that sorry piece of shit brother of yours ever did," The Governor said. "It was great fun watching him cry like a little bitch before I shot him."

Merle's body visibly twitched and Beth's heart ached for him. She pressed a hand over her mouth to quiet her startled sob and Hershel placed a comforting hand on her back.

"Prove it," Merle finally said back. His blade shot out between the bars and gored a walker in the head that had started reaching through.

"You calling my bluff?" The Governor asked.

Merle sucked his teeth, "Ya forget that I know how ya operate."

There was a moment of silence and Merle and Michonne exchanged a tense look between themselves. Beth could feel her whole body shaking as she fought to retain control of herself. It was hard to hear over the sound of the walkers and she assumed that that had been the Governor's plan all along. The sound of Carl shouting brought their attention over to the other side of the cell block where Michonne was now lying on the floor.

"Fuck!" Merle shouted as he made his way to the other side of the block. He kneeled next to Michonne and tilted her head to reveal a needle sticking from her neck. He placed two fingers against her skin, "There's a pulse," He said firmly. He looked up at Carl. "Get in tha cell with Beth an' Hershel," He commanded.

Carl looked torn between following Merle's orders and leaving him or staying behind and disregarding what he had said. Merle stared at him hard, "Go now boy!" He roared.

Carl finally nodded and approached their cell as Merle grabbed Michonne by the foot and drug her away from the door. He drug her into the cell with Beth and the others and Hershel immediately knelt beside her to see what he could do for her.

Beth's hands grasped at Merle as he turned to leave the cell, "Merle..." She begged him, her silent plea to be careful remaining unspoken between the two of them.

He looked down at her and his face softened for a fraction of a second before he responded, "Gotta take care o' business sugah. Ya remember yer promise ta me," He said softly.

She nodded grimly as he exited the cell, his eyes alert for the direction of the next incoming threat. It was clear to Beth just how outnumbered and vulnerable they were. Keys jangled in the lock from the darkened hallway where Michonne and Carl had been standing and Merle fired out a shot into the darkness before ducking down behind the stairs.

That was when chaos erupted.

Beth watched as walkers swarmed the cell block through the open doorway and she wondered how the Governor was managing to keep out of harm's way. There were more gunshots and she lost sight of Merle in the crowd of walkers. She and Carl stabbed at the ones that drew too close to the fence as Hershel worked on getting Michonne to come around. Behind them, Judith began to cry as if she sensed that all was not right in her world any longer.

"Where's Merle?" Beth shouted to Carl above the noise. "Do you see him?"

Carl shook his head as he stabbed at another walker, "No."

Beth's pulse raced and then she made a hasty decision. She was not going to just take the coward's way out and stand here behind some bars while Merle fought alone. She checked to make sure her gun was loaded and then she glanced back at the group in the cell.

"I'm going out there," She said.

Hershel turned to her with a startled expression, "Bethie, no! It's a death sentence," He replied.

Beth shook her head, her mind already made up, "We're wasting time! I'm not going to let him die like this!"

Without further response, she yanked open the door and headed out into the fray. She pushed the walker ambling closest to her hard and it stumbled backwards into two more, knocking them out of her way. She dodged underneath the arm of another and brought her knife down into the neck of one more. She barely felt the splatters of blood that stained her clothing as she worked her way into the throes of the walkers.

Too quickly she realized her error though, as she was surrounded by too many walkers to fight off at once. She could only duck and dodge so much and now she had trapped herself into a corner. Her mind briefly drifted to her family and to Merle as she stabbed and kicked, hoping for a miracle. Her last thoughts were that it wasn't such a bad way to die, saving the life of others. At least she hoped that her sacrifice would not be in vain.

* * *

Merle crouched beneath the stairs and stabbed two walkers simultaneously with both of his blades. He was forever thankful of his stint in the military and then Woodbury for keeping him in the shape that he was now. If it wasn't for the time he had spent there, he might be dead already. His eyes constantly scanned for the Governor. Merle knew the bastard would use this herd to his advantage and sweep inside when least expected. He hoped he stumbled upon the bastard because Merle had a message to deliver. You didn't fuck with anyone a Dixon cared about.

His mind was working overtime as he worked his way out from under the stairs. It had thinned slightly, but that wasn't saying much. There were still walkers straining at the bars of the doorway that led to their kitchen. If any of the rest of the group were alive, then they wouldn't be able to get through to help them now. They were on their own. His mind had pondered the possibility of Daryl being hurt, but then he had dismissed it just as quickly. Daryl was a tough son of a bitch and Merle knew it would take a lot to put him down.

When his eyes caught sight of Beth fighting a losing battle in the corner of the cell block, his heart damn near stopped. He barely had time to register the fact that she was out of her cell as he fought tooth and nail to make his way over to her. He could see the exhaustion and defeat marring her delicate features and he felt the adrenaline pumping into his veins as he took down one walker after the other. Frustrated and terrified at the possibility of losing her in this way, he aimed his knife and threw it straight into the back of the walker's skull that was trying desperately to sink its jaws into her. As she stabbed into another walker, her eyes drifted up and locked onto his, her relief evident. Something passed between them that he couldn't explain, but she suddenly found a second wind and the will to fight came back into her eyes.

That was Merle's last thought as his world went dark and the concrete rose up to meet his face.

* * *

Beth kicked at another walker and jammed her knife into its skull before glancing around the room. Carl had just stabbed another walker and its body slid down along the bars of the cell they occupied. Beth's first thought was Merle and as she stared around the room at the remaining walkers, she realized he wasn't standing anywhere in the room any longer and she panicked. Then she came to the slow realization that the remaining walkers weren't walkers at all, but part of the Governor's group. They were covered in blood and guts and suddenly Beth understood how they had managed to remain in the game this long. They had disguised themselves as one of the dead and they had more than likely been in the room with them the entire time. She felt sick to her stomach as her eyes located Merle facedown on the concrete and she made a move to go to him.

"I wouldn't do that my dear," The chilling voice rang out.

Beth had never been face to face with the Governor before, but she was beginning to believe the others stories about the man. She had heard that he was charming, but cold as ice underneath and now she could believe it. His face donned the black eye patch still courtesy of Michonne and Beth felt a small sense of satisfaction at seeing it. His men flanked him and trained several guns on the cell where the others were locked inside. That's when she saw him and she almost didn't recognize him.

Martinez's face was a bloodied mess and one of his eyes was swollen shut. He limped out from his position behind the Governor and finally lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"I'm sorry chica," He murmured, his voice barely audible.

The Governor laughed and slapped him heartily on the back, making the man wince, "You think she cares? You're a traitor! You wormed your way in here and deceived them all into thinking that you had left my protection," The Governor said.

Martinez wiped at the blood dribbling from his lip and slowly shook his head, "It's not true," He said as his eyes bored into hers.

A part of Beth wanted to believe him, but she wasn't sure. She had never been in this kind of position before. She had always been hidden in the background and never in the midst of any of the action. She could understand why Rick felt so much pressure and stress from his position as leader now. Her eyes flicked down to Merle's very still form lying on the floor. She didn't even know if he was bit or what had happened to him. She couldn't see any bite marks on the back of him.

"Come here my dear," The Governor beckoned.

Beth hesitated and one of the men with him cocked his gun, the sound spurring Beth forward until she was standing just in front of him. Her chin trembled slightly and she struggled to look the man in the eye. He reached out his hand and trailed a fingertip down her arm, sending cold chills through her body.

"You're a pretty little thing," He murmured.

Beth swallowed and summoned up her courage, "Go to hell," She replied.

He blinked and then threw back his head and laughed. His fist shot out so quickly that she never saw it coming. A burst of color spotted her vision as her cheek burned with the impact. She winced and raised a shaking hand to her cheek at the welt that was already beginning to form there.

"You've got spirit. I will surely enjoy breaking you of it just like I did to your little friend Andrea," He said.

Beth's ears perked at the mention of Andrea. She felt a moment of sorrow for her friend whom she had last seen on the farm. She couldn't imagine the torment Andrea must have suffered under this man.

Merle stirred then, and everyone's attention shifted to the man lying on the floor. The Governor frowned, "Who dosed him? I thought I told you to make it extra strong?" He roared to his men.

Beth's eyes darted to Carl who still had his gun and he nodded slightly to her. This was their chance to act while they were distracted. They wouldn't get another one and she seized the opportunity to ram her knife into the man's back as hard as she could. It was much different stabbing into live flesh instead of the dead flesh she had grown accustomed to as of late. Everything happened all at once then. It took much more effort to sink the blade into his back which was the closest place she could reach. Simultaneously Carl's gun was fired several times and Beth spotted Michonne's katana slicing through the bars and into the belly of one of the men. Beth remained focused on the Governor and hoped that Carl could keep the other men occupied. The Governor whirled on her, growling in pain and frustration as his hands tried to claw around at the knife in his back. She had aimed high so his attempts were futile and when he realized it, he turned angry eyes to her. She tried to take a quick step back, but his hand shot out and encircled her throat tightly. She gasped as her breath was effectively cut off and he lifted her off of the ground. She heard a whimper and vaguely realized that it had come from her own mouth as he squeezed. Around them there were shouts and the sounds of more people entering the room when suddenly the pressure was gone and she dropped to the floor. She glanced up in time to see Martinez struggling with the Governor.

Beth breathed in deeply to pull air back into her lungs and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw several members of the group were back in the cell block. Amidst the chaos, no one had noticed Martinez's struggle and Beth climbed shakily to her feet in an attempt to help the man. Before she could make it however, there was a groan and she watched in muted horror as the Governor's other eye popped out of his head attached to the end of Michonne's katana that she had just thrust through the back of the man's skull. The eye still had pieces of flesh attached and she shrank back from the eerie sight of it. The Governor collapsed in a heap to the floor and Michonne stood there staring down at him, panting heavily.

Rick cocked his gun at Martinez's temple and Daryl pinned him with his bow from the other side. Martinez held up his hands in surrender, "Go ahead, but please make it count. Don't let me turn," He pleaded.

"Gladly," Rick said coldly and Beth jumped up.

"No!" She shouted.

Both of the men blinked at her, "What tha hell? Move out tha way girl!" Daryl yelled.

Beth shook her head, "No. He saved me. He was trying to help. The Governor set him up," She told them.

Daryl and Rick glanced at each other and then at Martinez. "Say tha word Rick. I'll take this fucker out!" Daryl's voice was low and deadly.

Rick held her gaze for several minutes and then slowly lowered his gun. He turned to Daryl, "No. Leave him for now. We'll lock him in a cell," He said wearily.

Glenn led the man away and Beth sighed with relief before remembering Merle was still on the floor. She ran over to him and Daryl was at her side helping her to roll him over, "He ain't-?" Daryl asked.

Beth understood and shook her head no, "No, he's not dead. I don't think. He was moving a few minutes ago. They shot him with a needle I think," She replied.

Daryl spotted the needle first and pulled it from his brother's neck with a grimace. Merle twitched again and Beth pressed a hand to his face, "I'm here Merle," She whispered as she pressed a light kiss to his forehead. She didn't know what he had been dosed with, but she hoped that it was the same thing Michonne had been given because she seemed to be doing alright, although she was a little unsteady on her feet still. She did a quick head count and was relieved to see that everyone in their group was still alive.

All that was left was waiting on Merle to come around.

* * *

**_Don't fret about the ending loves! Trust in me! I would like to ask that if you're reading and you enjoyed this chapter, to please just drop me a line, word, gesture, smiley, or something and let me know I did okay. It was a tough chapter to write out and it would mean the world to me to know your thoughts. So enough rambling from me, REVIEW! _**

**_BIG HUGS TO YOU ALL!_**


	30. Chapter 30

_**Hey y'all! Sorry this one took a little bit to get out! I've been like crazy busy and it's only going to get worse through the weekend I'm afraid. Ugh! It sucks because I want to just keep writing this fic, but duty calls! **_

_**Just a side note about this chapter: I listened to "Sail," by Awolnation while writing this and I often visit that song for this fic. It just seems to...fit. I can't describe it, but if you haven't listened to it, I recommend it. The beats are awesome and it totally gets me in "Merle" mood. **_

_**I want to take a moment and sincerely thank those of you who reviewed that last chapter. Some of you genuinely made me blush and you really know how to stroke a gal's ego! I'm floored and totally honored. I know I say it a lot, but I really don't think I say it enough so, THANK YOU! :-) Reviews make me happy and happy keeps me writing! **_

_**Last note(I promise): I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations as it took a while and lots of shuffling in my schedule to get it all down even though it isn't my longest chapter. I don't like to take breaks when writing a chapter so I always worry that it isn't going to be as good as I want it to be. Enjoy!**_

* * *

After Hershel had checked over Merle and declared there wasn't much they could do at this point but to wait for him to wake up, Beth settled in next to him and waited. Around her, the others moved about cleaning up and killing off any stray walkers that lingered. They were gathering them all into a pile outside to burn later. Exhaustion marred everyone's face, but determination and pure adrenaline pushed them all to keep going even when all they wanted to do was sleep. It had been a long night and they were all running off of fumes.

It had only been thirty minutes or so since Merle had been moved into her cell and he had been twitching every few minutes. She reached over and smoothed her hand over his cheek trying to smooth the creases of tension and worry that spanned his face. Strong fingers shot out and wrapped around her wrist tightly and she found herself pinned beneath him, the icy coldness in his eyes startling her. His fingers were crushing the delicate bones of her wrist and she realized that he must still be trapped back into the events of earlier. She winced slightly and lifted her other hand to his face.

"It's okay Merle. It's me. It's Beth," She whispered.

Something flickered in his eyes and he let out a deep breath, his fingers instantly releasing her wrist and she hissed as she experimentally rotated it. He blinked several times and she saw him slowly come to realization. He shifted off of her immediately and she turned so that she could look at him.

"What's goin' on?" He asked gruffly. "Where is he?"

She knew he was referring to the Governor, "He's dead. Michonne killed him," She stated and she proceeded to tell him everything that had happened that he had probably missed in the midst of all of the action and chaos that had ensued. His jaw clenched tightly when she told him how the Governor had grabbed her and Martinez had saved her before Michonne had delivered the fatal blow that had ended the Governor's life. She skirted over the fact that the Governor had grabbed her by the throat, but Merle never missed anything and eventually his eyes drifted to the bruises that she knew marred her skin. She instinctively lifted a hand to cover them, but his hand reached up and pulled hers away as he stared at her. She could see his eye twitch slightly and then he focused in on the bruise that had left a colorful rainbow on one side of her face. The tension radiated off of him in waves and his jaw was set more tightly than she thought she had ever seen.

He rolled over her and lifted himself off of the bed, looking around for his blade before grabbing it off of the table and sliding it back into its slot on his prosthetic. He didn't say anything to her, but he did stare at her for a moment before he left the room, the thud of his boots sounding out the warning of his anger. She swallowed hard and walked out of her cell, but he had already left the block and she didn't know whether she should go to him or leave him be.

"Let him go. He needs to work out his anger," A voice called softly from the doorway of one of the cells.

She glanced over and into the slightly disfigured face of Martinez. He had several bandages covering him and she knew that her daddy had already been doctoring him. The man was clearly in pain though and he was swaying slightly as he struggled to remain on his feet. She hurried over to him and grabbed his arm to steady him.

"You should be lying down," She chided.

He chuckled and she realized that he was also slightly out of it, probably the effect of the pain meds he had been dosed with already. "No time to rest. I gotta earn my keep. Don't want no redneck's shooting me in my sleep," He murmured.

He managed to keep most of his weight off of her as she helped ease him onto the bunk. He closed his eyes on a sigh and she turned to leave the room when his voice called to her again. She turned and saw that his eyes were barely open and struggling to focus on her.

"He'll come around. Seen him rage before and it's best if you give him this time to work through it," He said.

She lowered her eyes to the floor and kicked at the fine layer of dirt that had gathered there, "I think he's mad at me," She said softly.

Martinez grunted and shifted slightly in the bed, "No. He's mad that he wasn't the one," He replied.

She frowned, "The one what?" She asked.

He was silent for several minutes and she started to leave, assuming he had fallen into a deep sleep when he responded, "The one to kill him."

* * *

Merle brushed his way past several people in the group and grabbed onto the foot of one of the walkers lying in the kitchen. He dragged the body out behind him and rolled it over onto the pile that some of the others had started. He saw Rick and his brother both glance up at him and the two of them exchanged a look. Merle stalked off before either of them could approach him and headed over to where they kept a couple of cars that were used for spare parts. He tightened his fist as he paced back and forth in front of the car and then he slammed his fist into the front bumper. He felt the impact split his skin, but instead of pain he only felt minor relief and he repeated the action several times until he finally collapsed on his ass next to it.

"Getcha shit all worked out?" Daryl commented from somewhere behind him.

Merle huffed, "Maybe. Ya gotta problem with it?"

Daryl sauntered into his view and took a draw from his cigarette, slowly blowing smoke into the air, "Figured you ta be a lil' more happy considerin'," He commented.

Merle grunted and ran the tip of his blade slowly back and forth across the concrete. He felt cheated. Here he had been, taking a fucking nap while the rest of the prison took care of business. He hadn't even been able to protect the girl. She probably felt sorry for him and that thought made his chest tight. He could take a lot of things, but never pity.

"Somebody's lookin' for ya," Daryl said suddenly and Merle glanced at his brother to see that he was looking off in the distance past the cars.

Merle sighed and stretched his legs out in front of him, "Ain't in tha mood fer company so why don'tcha jus' tell 'er ya don't know where I am?" He grumbled.

Daryl cleared his throat, "Alright. I don't know where he is," Daryl said.

Merle frowned and glanced up to see Daryl talking to Beth. He rolled his eyes at his brother, "Tha fuck didn't ya tell me she was standin' there!" He cried.

Daryl smirked at him and merely began heading back in the direction of the others. He paused next to Beth, "Careful. He's like a bear. Get too close an' he might bite," Daryl said as he walked away.

Merle shifted his eyes to the ground and sucked his teeth as she walked over to him. The girl had guts; he would give her that. Every time she was around his body seemed to smell her and it reacted to her scent every time. As much as he wanted her to just leave him alone to his own thoughts, he didn't want her to leave at the same time. He knew that he was in a dangerous mood right now and he was doing his best to close himself off from everyone. She kneeled down in front of him and he stared at her silently, his eyes coasting over her bruises again.

"What can I do to help?" She asked. She shifted closer and placed a hand on his leg.

"Ya wanna help?" He asked gruffly.

She nodded, "Yes. I don't like seeing you like this," She said and she bit her lip.

Merle sucked in a breath. He was pretty sure she didn't know exactly what that gesture did to him or maybe she did and she was doing it intentionally. Either way, he knew he had to have her. He had to have her _now_. He needed to bury himself inside of her and make her cry out his name. His pride wouldn't allow him anything less and he needed the release of being inside of her. He climbed to his feet and silently grabbed her hand, pulling her along behind him. He knew there was a storage room behind one of these doors that had a window that might allow them some light. He pulled her behind him until he spotted the door and the light from outside was just enough for him to see that it was empty save for a few cardboard boxes and a couple of wooden crates.

Beth tugged on his hand, "What are we doing?" She asked.

He pulled her inside and shut the door, backing her up against it roughly.

"Helpin' me," He responded.

* * *

Beth felt the fluttering of warmth pool in her belly as Merle backed her against the wall so roughly that it almost stole her breath. She was torn between feeling a little scared of his current mood and a little excited all at the same time. He didn't speak, but she could hear his heavy breathing and he suddenly buried his nose in her neck against her shoulder and breathed in deeply.

"I can smell ya," He said as he shifted his leg between her legs and pressed it against her sex.

She sucked in a breath at his blatant words and she knew her panties were wet with her arousal. His tongue licked a trail from her neck to her collarbone where he nipped at her with his teeth. She let out a low gutteral moan and her arms twined around his neck. Spinning her around, he pinned her against the door so that her back was to his chest and he pressed himself against her. She could feel his hard length pressing against her ass and she shimmied backwards against him a little.

He sucked in a breath, "Ya shoulda jus' left me out there by myself. Now ya done started somethin'. I ain't gonna be gentle darlin'," He ground out, his breath warm on the back of her neck.

She shivered, "Then don't."

He groaned aloud at her words and she heard him move away from her for a few minutes. She stayed where she was, waiting. Her skin felt flush and she was so turned on that her legs wouldn't quit shaking beneath her. She felt him behind her, quiet as a panther he had come back to her and his hand tugged at the hem of her shirt.

"Take it off," He commanded shortly.

Beth swallowed and silently obeyed. She tossed it to the side and with trembling fingers she worked at the clasp of her bra. Except she was shaking so badly that she couldn't get the clasp undone and he growled impatiently behind her before pushing her hands out of the way. Beth felt the heat of his arm against her back and then his hand pulled at the clasp until it popped and her bra fell loose on her shoulders. She started to protest but his mouth was on her shoulder, his hand snaking around her to tug on her nipple. He bit down lightly on her shoulder and she moaned softly against him.

He pulled back again, "Pants," He ordered.

She unzipped her jeans and slid them down her legs, but when she went back for her panties he reached out a hand stopping her. He moved her hand back to its position against the door and then slid his finger over the damp center of her panties. Breathing harshly, Beth tried to hold it together, but she couldn't resist moaning again at his touch. The sound of his zipper sliding down filled the room and then he pushed on her back gently so that her ass stuck out. She jumped as he smacked her ass with his hand and he chuckled softly. He slid the material of her panties aside and then paused with the tip of his cock just outside her entrance.

"Ain't got no condom, but I'll pull out," He rasped.

She nodded, barely registering his words in her eagerness to have him inside of her. When he pushed inside of her, she cried out at the feel of him. He slid in deeply and then paused before pulling back out and beginning a steady rhythm that had her pushing her hips back to meet him.

She pulsed with sensation with each thrust and she moaned out his name, "_Merle_."

He grunted, "Fuck yeah," He replied.

Merle reached a hand around to her belly and splayed his fingers there to hold her in place as he pounded into her with more force than he had ever used with her. Beth felt like her body was stretched taut like the strings on a violin and each thrust stretched her just a little bit farther.

When she knew she was on the verge of her orgasm she turned her face to the side, "I love you Merle," She panted as her body exploded into a thousand pieces with the force of her orgasm. She shifted her legs in an effort to remain standing as the aftershocks passed through her core. Merle grunted and she knew by the tension in his body he was on the verge of cumming inside of her. She felt him begin to withdraw and she clenched her legs together, "I want you to cum inside of me," She said.

"Fuck me," Merle ground out and then he was spilling himself inside of her and she let him thrust until he had nothing left. His arm never leaving her, they both made their way to the floor, breathing heavily. They sat twined together for several minutes in silence as they both fought to come back down from their sexual high.

Then Merle did something Beth had never seen nor thought that he would do. He tightened his hold on her and nuzzled his face into her neck, "I...Yer mine, ya know that?" He asked.

She shifted so that she could look into his face. His expression was serious and there wasn't a trace of any of the anger he had shown earlier. She lifted her hand and pressed it against his scruffy cheek, "Always," She whispered.

* * *

**_Okay y'all, it may be a bit before I get to update! Don't freak out, but it may be Monday or so before I get another chapter out so I hope this holds you over for a bit ;)_**

**_Review me?_**


	31. Chapter 31

**_Hey y'all! Don't kill me! I know it's been a while, but it's been so busy here and I'm sorry about that! Hopefully things are calming down now though and I can get back on my regular routine of updating. I forced myself to set aside a block of time tonight to get this one out for y'all and I hope it's not too bad! I'm gonna go ahead and post it though because we need to move on from here with the story and I know y'all are waiting patiently. I hate leaving a story like that and then coming back to it, so if this one seems a little off I apologize!_**

* * *

Merle woke from the deepest sleep he had had in a while and looked over at the top of the blonde head that lay against his chest. Her golden hair was spilled across him, the strands making his chest itch slightly. Every day that passed made him realize just how attached he was becoming to the girl. It frightened yet amazed him that he could form an attachment to her after he had spent so much of his life fighting to keep from feeling anything for anyone.

He hadn't yet admitted to himself just what his feelings were for the girl exactly, but he knew if push came to shove there were now two people at this prison that he would die to protect: his brother and the girl. She skipped under all of his defenses and ignored all of his surliness. As much as he had tried to push her away, she had tried that much harder to stay._ And he wanted her to stay_. All of the times he had gotten angry with her, he had secretly wanted her to run away from him, but she hadn't. She had kept coming back and now he was tired of trying to fight it. He wanted her and she wanted him. He would be damned if he would stay away from her.

He knew the others knew about their relationship although no one came right out and said anything. They had been sharing the same cell for a while now and although they weren't outright affectionate with each other in front of the group, Merle knew they weren't stupid. All the girl had to do was look up at him and he melted like butter. As much as he hated himself for it, a part of him lived for it as well. He had caught Daryl watching him on multiple occasions but so far his brother hadn't approached him about it again. Merle preferred it this way. As long as things kept going the way they were then he was just fine with the situation as is.

Beth stirred against him and Merle felt his morning erection harden. It didn't matter where they were or what they were doing, she managed to drive him insane with lust whenever she was near him. Hell even when she wasn't near him, Merle found himself wanting her. He didn't think he had ever been this bad. A couple of times throughout the day he even had to slip off by himself just to get some relief.

"Morning," Beth said and he glanced down to see her smiling at him.

He leaned over and captured her lips with his, tugging her closer to his body with his arm. She yielded to him immediately, her lips soft and responsive beneath his. He ran his hand down her naked belly to the soft patch of curls between her thighs and lightly traced the patch with his finger. He heard her slight intake of breath and he smirked as he eased his finger just inside of her. Just like always she was warm and wet. He closed his eyes at the feel of her. He nudged her legs further apart with his leg and her breathing increased as he teased her slowly. She bit her lip as she closed her eyes and he bent his head forward to run his tongue over her nipple.

"Merle," She whispered.

He lifted his head to look at her, "Tell Merle what'cha need darlin'," He said. She lifted her hips against his finger and whimpered. He chuckled lightly, "Didn't hear nothin'," He whispered at her ear.

She shivered and then her lips parted, "I want you inside of me," She whispered.

He grunted and shifted so that he was hanging over her and he removed his hand to reach under the bed for his stash of condoms. He had stolen them from the Asian kid a few days ago. He knew the kid was wondering what happened to half of his stash, but Merle knew he didn't know who had taken them. Half of the prison was almost like one big orgy at night sometimes with couples going at it in different cells. The kid had had a nice stash and Merle felt it was only right for him to share some of them for the greater good. He grabbed a condom from the duffle bag and slipped it on with one hand.

Beth reached up and pulled him back down to her for a kiss as he positioned himself over her. He thrust inside of her and she gasped into his mouth. He grinned against her lips as she moaned. His grin quickly died however as he began moving inside of her. He grunted and wrapped his arm around her. In one movement he flipped them without breaking stride so that she was riding on top of him. She gave a startled gasp and then quickly settled into a new rhythm. Her breasts bounced in front of him and he could feel himself drifting closer to his breaking point. It wouldn't take long this morning. She braced herself with her hands against his chest and he grabbed her ass with his hand as his hips lifted to sink himself further into her heat. His hand drifted to her slit and he rubbed his thumb over the nub there. She whimpered and then he felt her pulse around him as she moaned through her orgasm. Just the sight of her lost within her orgasm and tightening around him had him arching upwards and spilling himself inside of her. She collapsed on top of him afterwards and he moved some of her hair out of his face where it had fallen.

Merle started to slowly come back aware of their surroundings and realized that it was oddly quiet in the cell block for early morning. He frowned as he concentrated on his surroundings.

"Gotta get up darlin'. I need ta check some things out. Too quiet for early mornin'," He told her.

She lifted her head and he watched as she listened to the silence around them. She lifted off of him and together they dressed before heading out of the cell. The kitchen was empty but Merle could see evidence that the group had been in there and judging from the warmth of the food in one of the bowls, it hadn't been that long ago.

They made their way outside and Merle saw why no one had been inside. They were all gathered around three people inside of the prison that hadn't been there previously.

* * *

Beth followed behind Merle and stopped at the sight of the three people that were surrounded by their group. She could feel Merle tense immediately next to her and she followed him closer so that they could see what was going on.

She could make out two women and one man, all of whom she had never seen before. She nudged Maggie as Merle passed through the crowd to get to his brother. "What's going on?" She asked her sister.

Maggie glanced at her, "They just showed up at the gate about ten minutes ago. Said they been trying to get away from a herd when they ran into the prison," Maggie replied.

Beth glanced at the people again. They looked tired and very dirty, but that was to be expected out on the move in the woods. Both of the women appeared to be in their thirties and one of them had dark brown hair while the other had more of a lighter shade of brown. They both carried knives which they held at their sides in a tight grip. The man was black and tall, but the thing that stood out the most about him was his size. Not only was he tall, but he was broad as well. His hand gripped the handle of a hammer that he held by his side. The three of them appeared alert to everything, but not harmful in any way.

"We don't make it a habit of taking in new people," Rick said.

The man turned to him, "I can understand that, but we've been separated from the others we were traveling with. We were with a much larger group, but it got out of hand when the head guy was killed. It was complete chaos."

Beth saw Rick exchange a glance with Daryl and the others. She knew the man must be referring to Woodbury and it made her stomach churn just thinking about the place even though she hadn't ever been.

Rick took a step towards the man, "You say your leader was killed? Where was this group that you speak of?"

"A little town of sorts not too far from here, maybe a day's walk. Woodbury," The man replied.

Rick's hand itched near his gun and his expression grew tense, "You can't stay."

The women's expressions fell and the man began to plead with Rick, "Please. Don't send us back out there. I can't take care of both of these women on my own. Whatever you know about that man, it has nothing to do with us. We've been trying to get away from there. The man's crazy. I lost my sister in all of the activity. You haven't seen any others have you?"

Daryl shook his head at the man, "Nah. You tha first we seen."

It was then that Merle finally spoke up from behind Daryl. "I know tha two women," He said.

Beth's interest was piqued and she again looked over the two women as Rick turned to Merle who walked to the front of their group. Beth inched closer so that she could hear.

"What kind of people are they?" Rick asked in a low voice.

Merle glanced at the women who were now staring at him with pleading eyes, "That's Karen," He pointed to the darker colored brunette, "And that's Rachel. Don't know tha man. Wasn't there when I was there," Merle explained.

"My name is Tyreese," The big man said.

Merle shrugged, "All tha same. Don't know jack shit 'bout'cha. I can vouch fer tha ladies though. Ain't neither of 'em knew what was goin' on."

Rick nodded and ran a hand through his hair, "Let's get them into a cell and then we can have a discussion about this," He said.

Beth watched as several members of their group went to lead the people away. Her eye caught on the one woman Merle had referred to as Rachel and her eyes narrowed as she watched the woman run up to Merle and throw her arms around him. Beth saw Merle's eyes dart around to hers and she gave him a pointed look. Merle moved the brunette's arms from around his neck and gave her a gentle push towards the others.

Beth turned to enter the prison, but Merle caught her arm and yanked her around to face him. "Now, now darlin'. Where ya goin' off to?" He asked.

"What was that all about?" She gestured towards the other woman. Merle sighed and averted his eyes, sucking his teeth. Beth gasped, "Oh my God! You had sex with her didn't you?" She whispered.

* * *

**_Yeah, I ended it there. I know, I know, I'm cruel. But I'm also pressed for time and I know I am going to be back onto my normal routine from here on out so it won't be long before the next chapter is up! Yes, I know, more drama as well. But you gotta have some sort of drama and don't worry it's not anything big. I think after the Governor we all need a break, right? Anyways, I'd love a review! Love y'all!_**


	32. Chapter 32

_**Hey y'all! I hope y'all are still with me! Only two reviews for last chapter? Where is everyone? I know y'all are hanging around out there somewhere, LOL. So here's another update for you and I should also mention that this fic will be coming to an end very soon. There may be possibly three chapters left. I know some of you are going to scream at me, but I don't want to drag this out longer than it should be. That's not to say that I won't write more Meth in the future so if anyone has any ideas feel free to throw them at me. :-) I should also mention AGAIN that y'all have been truly great reviewers and I'm going to miss this fic when it's over. It's actually already went on longer than I had intended so y'all got to reap those benefits there! I'm going to try to work on finishing the other one, but honestly I keep hitting a roadblock there. Maybe I should try a different Deth fic? I don't know. Let me know what y'all think! **_

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Merle stared down at the blonde haired beauty with fire in her eyes in front of him. He was at a loss for words and that was saying something. Merle might have been experienced in lots of things in this world, but relationships were not one of them. He wasn't stupid enough not to realize though that whether he said yes or no wouldn't make a difference. Beth was already mad. He also bristled a little at having to explain his actions to her. Merle had never had to answer to anybody, _ever_.

When he had gotten a good look at the women and spotted Rachel he had groaned to himself. They had met up a few times during Merle's time at Woodbury, but that had been it. She had understood that there time spent together was where the relationship ended. Merle hadn't wanted any attachments and she had agreed. He could only hope that the woman wouldn't think they would have the same arrangement here as they had had there. It was true that lots of women had frequented his bed, but they had only been there to fill a sexual need and nothing more. He hadn't felt a thing for those women besides making them feel good for the time they were in his bed.

Beth was different. He felt something deeper inside of himself when he was with her. Looking at her now, he was reminded of just how much younger she was than him. He almost started to feel guilty again, but he pushed the feeling away. He refused to feel guilty for anything and on top of that, he wasn't going to give her up anyway. She was his now, whether she knew it or not. He almost smiled at the way she stood in front of him with her hands balled into fists perched onto her hips and her eyes shooting daggers in his direction. She was jealous. In a way that made him feel good that she had staked a claim on him, but he also worried about where that jealousy might take them.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Relationships were exhausting and he hadn't thought so much about anything in a long time. "Now lis-," He began.

"Hey Merle! We need ya in here," Daryl interrupted as he wallked up to them.

Beth met Merle's gaze head on and he cursed under his breath at the fact that she was making him harder than a rock. She finally looked away first and Merle glanced at his brother, "I'm comin'," He said and he waited until Daryl nodded and walked away before grabbing Beth's chin and directing her gaze back to him. "I gotta go take care o' some business, but this conversation ain't over," He said.

She crossed her arms, "Fine."

He bit back his chuckle and held her chin firmly so that he could plant his lips over hers. She kept her mouth still under his and he smiled and nodded. He glanced around and walked her backwards to the brick wall so that he could press his body against hers. "Now we both know ya want it darlin'. Ya gonna kiss me back all proper like or is I gotta make ya beg for it?" He asked. He knew he was being somewhat of an asshole at the moment, but he felt he was entitled to it every now and again. She sighed and reluctantly nodded. This time when he pressed his lips to hers she opened underneath him and he swept his tongue inside of her mouth, claiming her. He grunted when he pulled away, "Better. I'll find ya in a bit. Don't go disappearin'," He warned.

"I'll be around," She replied.

* * *

Beth watched Merle walk away with a sigh. She knew she was acting immature for her age, but when that woman had wrapped her arms around Merle, something inside of Beth had raged. She hadn't liked it one bit. She wasn't even sure why she cared whether or not if Merle had ever had sex with the woman or not, but she couldn't resist asking. She had known from the start that Merle had been with other women before her and she had accepted it. Or so she had thought anyway. Now when she was faced with one of them, she wasn't so sure that she could handle it. Maybe it would be different if the woman hadn't acted like she was so familiar with Merle, but she had.

She decided not to go inside of the prison just yet and she spotted Maggie coming down from the guard tower up front so she walked in her direction. As Beth approached her sister, she realized how tired she looked. Beth had been so preoccupied with Merle lately that she hadn't even paid much attention to her sister because things had been so tense between them. Maggie didn't seem to be harboring any more anger towards Beth though and she mumbled a 'hi' as Beth fell into step beside her.

"Isn't Glenn on watch?" Beth asked.

Maggie nodded, "He is."

"Then why aren't you up there with him? Is everything okay between you two?" Beth glanced up at the rail of the guard tower to see Glenn avert his eyes when she caught him looking. Even though the Governor was eliminated, Rick still wanted someone to keep an eye out for any other threats or backlash from Woodbury.

Maggie let out a deep breath and grabbed Beth's arm, pulling her off to the side away from Carol and Michonne who were talking amongst themselves right outside of the door to the prison. Beth steeled herself for something bad as she looked into Maggie's eyes. There were dark circles underneath her sister's eyes indicating that she hadn't been getting enough rest lately. Impulsively Beth grabbed her sister's hand and squeezed it, "What is it Mags? You can tell me," She insisted.

Maggie drew in a shuddering breath and looked up with tears in her eyes, "I'm pregnant."

Beth gasped and Maggie drew back her hand to sit down heavily on top of one of the crates that littered the side of the wall. Beth stood there in shock for several moments before gathering herself together and kneeling down in front of Maggie.

"When did you find out?" She asked her.

Maggie picked at her nails and shrugged before replying, "This morning. I found an old pregnancy test in some of the supplies. I don't know whose it was, but I'm late," She looked into Beth's eyes. "I'm scared. What do I do?"

Beth wrapped her arms around her sister as a sob broke through Maggie. She definitely hadn't been expecting this. "What does Glenn say?"

Maggie started sobbing harder, "He wants it!" She cried.

"Okay," Beth said. "What about you?"

Maggie wiped at her eyes, "I'm scared to want it. Don't you remember what happened to Lori? What if it happens to me? Or what if I have this baby, but I lost Glenn before I give birth? What if we lose Daddy? What if there's something wrong with it?" Maggie spluttered.

Beth pulled her sister back to her tighter and crooned softly against her hair while Maggie's questions swam through her mind. She didn't know how to answer any of them. This was Beth's first time in a relationship and she had no experience in this area at all. She remembered what happened to Lori, but she hadn't been there. Maggie had had to cut her open and Beth could only imagine how hard that must have been. Those images were probably running through Maggie's head nonstop. It was while Maggie was still crying softly against her shoulder that Beth had a shocking thought: _What if she were pregnant too?_

* * *

It was much later before Beth saw Merle again. She was sitting up in her bed writing in a diary of sorts that she had been keeping lately to record her thoughts when he entered the cell. He paused upon seeing her sitting there and she quickly closed her book and set it to the side.

He eyed the book, "What's that?" He asked.

"Just something I've been writing my thoughts in," She replied.

He raised a brow as he unstrapped his blade and set it on the dresser, "Yeah? Anythin' 'bout me in it?" He asked.

She shrugged, "Maybe."

She had had a lot of time to think since what had happened earlier and she was a little embarrassed at how she had acted. She loved Merle she knew, but she really had no claim to him at all. He hadn't said that he loved her back and he _had_ said that he wasn't good with relationships. She could tell that he was trying with her and she tried to suppress the jealousy inside of her. It was still there, but at least she wasn't so angry about it now. Merle sucked his teeth and eyed her warily as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I had sex with 'er," He blurted.

"Today?!" Beth asked.

Merle snorted, "Hell no! Damn darlin', give me some kinda credit!" He exclaimed.

Beth blushed and wished she could retract that question. It had taken her off guard and she had opened her mouth without thinking. "Sorry," She mumbled. "I didn't mean...I mean I know you didn't," She said.

"Ain't sure why it means so damn much ta ya ta know, but we got together a few times back in Woodbury. I done set 'er straight that it ain't gonna be like that here though," He explained.

Beth let out a relieved sigh, "You're free to be with whomever you want Merle. I just want you to know that. I- I don't want anyone but you, but I know I have no claim on you. You made that clear from day one," She said.

Merle sucked his teeth and clenched his jaw. She watched as he stood up and began to pace the tiny cell, his energy seeming to engulf the little room. He paced back and forth silently for a few minutes as she watched his stern expression. He appeared to be working through something in his head, so she simply sat back and waited. She had seen Daryl throw a similar fit several times before with Carol and she was struck by how much the brothers favored each other even though they didn't realize it.

Finally he stopped and he whipped around to kneel in front of her so fast that her eyes widened, "Merle?" She asked.

"Fuck," He cursed under his breath. He placed his finger on her lips as she started to speak and she waited. "I don't want anybody else an' I sure as hell don't want her," He said gruffly. "Thangs ain't like they used ta be. I told ya I don't do relationships an' that's true. Ain't never been no good at that kinda shit. You different though. Don't feel like no relationship I ever heard 'bout," He paused and wiped at a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. He growled in frustration and then he pulled her roughly to him and kissed her.

Except this wasn't like any other kiss they had ever shared. Something felt different this time. He was gentle yet rough all at the same time and it seemed more passionate than any other kiss they had ever had. His rough hand clasped the back of her neck, gently kneading the skin with his fingers. There was no underlying sexual tension in the kiss and Beth sighed against his lips.

With that one kiss, Merle said everything he couldn't say and more.

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**_Review? _**


	33. Chapter 33

**_Hey y'all! I'm back! So I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter, but my mind took me off track slightly and I had to struggle to get it back. We detoured a bit because I love y'all so much and the detour should buy us at least one more chapter than we had. That's good, right?! Anyway, this one is what it is and it took me too terribly long to produce what to me is crap. LOL...So we should have maybe 3(?) chapters left after this one...We'll see how it goes! _**

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It had been one week since Karen, Rachel, and Tyreese had arrived at the prison from Woodbury. The group had come together and decided that they weren't a threat and could stay so they were let out of their holding cell yesterday. Beth hadn't had too much time to spend with Merle because he had been busy helping the others do last minute runs in preparation for winter that would be approaching soon. Beth had somehow slipped back into her same old routine of taking care of Judith while Carol handled the cooking and she sighed as she turned to leave the cell after laying the little girl down in her crib. How quickly she had slipped right back into her same old routine of being a wallflower. She walked through the kitchen and slipped outside, intent on getting some fresh air for a bit while Judith napped. She paused just outside before heading over to the picnic table where several of members of the group had gathered in a discussion of some sort.

"We need to get something to reinforce those fences through the winter. With the weight of any snow plus walkers, we can't take any chances. Runs will be much harder with snow on the ground," Rick was saying as she hovered around the edge of the group within earshot.

"How much stuff do we need this time?" Michonne asked.

"We need more feminine supplies," Maggie spoke suddenly and she grew a little red in the face. "We didn't get enough on the last run."

Several of the men coughed and shifted before Morgan spoke up, "We could use some chains too if anyone spots any. Who's going on this run?"

Beth saw Rick glance at Daryl and to her surprise Daryl shook his head, "Runnin' off o' little sleep man. If no one else volunteers then I'll go, but I'd rather stay," He commented.

Rick nodded and ran a hand through his hair, "Well I guess I can go," He said wearily.

"I'll go," Beth called out impulsively.

All head swiveled in her direction and she realized that none of them had even seen her walk up. "I don't know if it's safe Bethie," Hershel said.

Beth huffed and crossed her arms, "I can do it!" She insisted.

"I'll go with 'er," Merle's deep voice spoke from behind her and she could feel his body heat as he brushed himself slightly against her.

"I don't know," Rick said.

"I think we should give her a chance," Maggie said suddenly and Beth glanced up at her sister sharply. Maggie smiled at her warmly and Beth smiled back, grateful for her sister's support on this matter. It meant more to her than anything and she wanted to wrap her sister up in a hug, but there were others around so she didn't.

Beth glanced at her Daddy and Hershel stared back at her for several moments before nodding slightly, "Maggie's right Rick. I think it's time we let her give it a shot I suppose. You did say the walkers were a little sluggish lately?" Hershel asked Rick.

Rick eyed her and Merle and then nodded, "They seem to be," He shifted his stance. "Can you two be ready to leave in half an hour? We need to get this out of the way as soon as possible," He said.

Beth felt Merle's hand against her back, rubbing through her shirt softly where no one could see. "We'll be ready," He responded for them both.

* * *

Beth was excited and nervous all at the same time as she climbed into the passenger seat of the car and glanced over at Merle. He had been abnormally quiet and she wasn't sure what was going on with him. He had left her side early to go and get things ready while she had spent a few minutes talking to Maggie about what was needed for the women. When she had finally made it to their cell with a list, he had already shouldered a small bag and he didn't speak other than to tell her he would wait for her at the car.

She waited while he went over last minute instructions with Daryl and Rick before he climbed into the car and they pulled off down the gravel drive. Beth watched as Merle gripped the steering wheel tightly as he waved at Carl before driving through the gate and down the highway. She could tell that something was bothering him, but she couldn't figure out what it could be. They hadn't argued since the Karen incident and things had been going well between them. Finally she couldn't stand the silence anymore and she reached over to turn on the cd player. Rock music trailed from the speakers for several seconds before Merle reached over and turned it off.

"Okay, _what _is wrong with you?" Beth demanded.

Merle swerved a little and glanced around in the rearview mirror before stopping in the middle of the road. He hit the button to lock the doors and turned to her, his expression a mixture of intensity and..._fear. _

"Ya got somethin' ya need ta tell me?" He asked.

Beth frowned as she tried to think of what he could be referring to, "No," She replied.

Merle sucked his teeth, "Found ya lil' diary," He commented.

Beth stared at him in wonder, "You went through my things?" She asked hotly.

He gritted his teeth, "Dropped my knife. Went ta get it an' ya book fell out from under tha bed. Might wanna make sure it's more secure next time," He warned.

"I don't understand how you can be ma-" Beth began and then it hit her. She had written about Maggie's pregnancy in that book last _and_ the fact that she might be pregnant. She hadn't said anything to Merle yet because she hadn't taken a test and she wasn't sure. She just knew that their was a chance. Beth wasn't ever really regular with her periods either, so it was hard to say whether or not she was late. They sat in silence for a moment and watched as a walker ambled slowly across the road, oblivious to the fact that they were there and they waited until it trailed off further before speaking again.

Beth leaned over and grabbed Merle's hand. She could feel the tension radiating beneath his skin. "Merle," She began.

"Are ya fuckin' pregnant?" Merle interrupted hastily.

Beth flinched at his tone, but she held herself calm. She could understand why he was angry. Merle thought that she was keeping it from him, but she wasn't. She hadn't wanted to give him cause to worry until she could take a test. She had tried to find a test in their supplies without anyone seeing, but Maggie must have used the only one they had because Beth never found anything.

"I don't know," Beth replied softly. She glanced around before unbuckling her seatbelt and crawling over to position herself in Merle's lap so that she was facing him.

"An' ya weren't gonna tell me?" He ground out, his breathing heavy.

"I was," Beth insisted. "I just wanted to find a test before I worried you with something that may not even exist."

"Fuck, Beth!" Merle yelled.

He ducked his head and leaned forward until it rested on her belly. She ran her hands over his very short hair in an attempt to relax him. She knew now that he wasn't really mad at her. He was extremely terrified that there was the real possibility they could be bringing a child into this world. He finally relaxed a little and lifted his head to stare at her.

"It's okay," She whispered soothingly. "We'll find a test while we're out and I'll take it. We'll know for sure. Everything will be fine," She said.

Beth leaned forward and grabbed his face with her hands and pressed her lips to his. He stiffened and then he returned the pressure, his hand coming to rest at her hip where he gripped her tightly. She poured her heart and soul into the kiss and he crushed her to him as his lips moved with firm and almost bruising pressure against hers. Beth could feel his erection rubbing against her and she tipped her head back so that his lips had access to her neck. He sucked at the delicate skin there and marked her before pulling back to stare at her with eyes heavy with desire.

"We got stuff ta do. Can't do this here," He said.

Beth nodded. He was right. Having sex in a car in the middle of an open road wouldn't be the best of ideas. They were extremely vulnerable to anybody that might happen to come by. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and then climbed back over the console to her seat. Merle was scanning the area around them and he put the car back into gear after adjusting his pants a little. She hoped that this whole situation worked out for the best. She didn't want to lose Merle and she wasn't sure she was ready for a baby either. It was then that she realized that Merle had never actually said whether or not he would want a kid.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, "This run might take a while. Might need ta stay overnight," He commented.

Beth looked at him and their eyes met. She knew that the run shouldn't take overnight, but she understood that Merle was trying to buy them some time alone and some privacy. He refocused his eyes back onto the road as he steered them around abandoned and broken down cars that littered the highway.

She stared ahead, excited at the fact that they would have time together uninterrupted and they would finally find out the answer that they sought.

"I'll keep an eye out for a place," She replied.

* * *

**_So Merle and Beth are on a run together and may end up staying overnight...Oh the possibilities...So my question is: Should we have a whole smutty Meth chapter? Or just cruise right on by it? ;-) _**

**_Reviews are like chocolate to my soul. Feed me. _**

**_Please. _**


	34. Chapter 34

_**Hey y'all! Apologies again for the wait. Life has a way of distracting you and I never thought I would get this out and posted! Grr...LOL. I feel like this chapter is kind of off and that irritates me, but I don't know how to fix it unless I scratch it and start over. At this rate I feel if I start the chapter over it might be that much longer before it gets posted so I decided to post this one anyway. Y'all let me know what you think...Please. **_

* * *

The run had actually ended up taking longer than Beth had thought it might. They had had to stop at several different locations to find chains, rope, and at one location Merle spotted lumber that they could use so they had to find a truck to haul it. Beth followed behind Merle in the car now as he stopped in front of a pharmacy that they hoped would have the rest of the supplies they needed. She waited until Merle exited his vehicle before she got out and together they took out the few walkers that littered the street. Beth was surprised at how much more confident she was now about killing them. She knew Merle approved as well because she had caught him watching her several times with a smirk on his face.

Merle was the first to enter the pharmacy while Beth covered him from behind. The pharmacy was unoccupied and they made quick work of looking the place over. Beth stuffed the several boxes of feminine products that she saw into her bag while Merle perused a shelf of medicine. There weren't too many things left aside from a couple of boxes of gauze here and there. Beth grabbed anything that she saw and shoved it into her bag. At the end of the aisle her eyes fell upon several boxes of pregnancy tests and she picked up one of the boxes in her hands, staring at it. She was frozen as she stared at the letters on the box and her hand shook slightly. She glanced over at Merle finally and saw that he was almost done so she stuffed two of the tests into her bag and zipped it before heading over to his side.

"Ya get what we needed or we need ta make anotha stop?" He asked.

She shook her head, "I got everything. We should be good now," She replied.

Merle nodded and they exited the store with him taking out a lone walker lingering too close to their vehicles as they tossed their packs inside. Merle walked over by her car and stood there for a moment as his eyes coasted over the area around them.

"Follow me an' I'll see if I can't find us a place," He said.

"Alright," She replied.

* * *

Merle finally pulled the truck to a stop in front of a small motel on the side of the road. There weren't any walkers around that Merle could see and he was just ready to get settled somewhere so that Beth could take the damn test to let them know whether or not she was pregnant. So far he had managed to keep the thought pushed far from his mind while they had been searching for supplies, but now that they were done the thought came raging back to him. He was impatient to know an answer and he didn't much like waiting.

She followed behind him in the car as he drove the truck to the side of the motel where anyone passing by wouldn't see it unless they looked for it. The last thing he needed was for them to encounter a group passing through that tried to steal their stuff or something worse. He wasn't taking any chances with Beth being with him. They exited their vehicles, grabbing up what little supplies they would need through the night. Merle stopped to stick his blade through the skull of a walker that made its way out of the woods and then together they walked over to the rooms. Merle chose the room down on the end and gestured for Beth to keep an eye out while he thrust the door open. Light poured into the room from the outside and he was able to see that the room was surprisingly empty. He opened the curtains, letting in more light and made his way to the small bathroom, making sure that it too was indeed walker free.

Beth entered into the room once she saw that he had cleared it and she began sifting through her backpack as Merle worked to secure the door for the night. He glanced over his shoulder at her and saw her pull out a box which he guessed to be the pregnancy test. So far, things had been pretty quiet between them, neither of them keeping up much chatter like usual.

She glanced up and their eyes met, hers tired and scared. "What if I'm pregnant?" She asked a little shakily.

Merle didn't know how to reply. Part of him knew that he would never make a kid a good father after the kind of life he had had, but there was another part of him, a much smaller part, that wondered what his life could be like if he had a kid. The thought of taking care of something so tiny in this world literally scared the shit out of him. He paused from what he was doing and turned to her with a sigh. She was looking at him like she expected whatever he said to be profound and to make her feel better, but Merle didn't think he could reassure her like that.

"I reckon' we'll cross that bridge when we come ta it," He offered gruffly and hoped that it was enough.

She stared at him for several seconds and then she nodded. She crossed over to him and pressed her lips to his in a swift kiss before pulling away. "I'll be back in a few minutes," She said.

Merle nodded, eager for her to leave the room for once. He needed a few minutes to compose himself and prepare for the very real possibility of a little Dixon running around sometime in the future.

* * *

Beth drummed her fingers against the small sink as she looked down at the stick she had just peed on. The light from the lantern she had brought inside the bathroom gave off just enough light to read the stick. She wasn't sure which answer she was looking for while she waited. On one hand, she kind of liked the possibility of being someone's mother, but on the other the thought completely terrified her. She gripped the sink and closed her eyes, willing her body to relax. She tried to mentally keep a tally of the passing seconds as she waited, but she had lost count. Blowing out a deep breath, she stared at herself in the cracked mirror above the sink. Her hair was a mess of tangles around her head and she pulled out a stray leaf that had somehow become lodged amidst the tangles. Her eyes shone with worry and her skin had gotten pale from being inside the prison so much lately.

Biting her lip, she peered down at the test in the dim light. Glancing back at the instructions again, she read them quickly and then looked back at the test. She stared at it for several minutes before setting it back down on the counter. With a sigh, she grabbed the lantern and opened the bathroom door to find Merle leaning against the doorframe.

Startled, she jumped back slightly at his presence, "You scared me!" She gasped.

"What's it say?" Merle demanded.

Beth swallowed, "I'm not pregnant," She replied.

She watched as Merle's body sagged with relief. His expression relaxed somewhat and he rubbed his eyes with his hand, "That was a close call," He remarked.

Beth nodded, unsure of how exactly she should feel at the moment. Merle reached his hand up to cup her chin with his fingers, "Hey," He said softly. Beth looked up into his eyes. "Don't take it tha wrong way, okay? I jus' ain't wantin' ya ta go through somethin' like that," He explained.

Beth looked into his eyes searchingly. She saw no trace of his usual sarcasm or wit; there was only nervousness and relief. He dropped his hand after a few minutes and turned back to the bed to dig through their packs. He grabbed two granola bars and tossed one to her before unwrapping and eating his in just two bites. She sat on the edge of the bed and ate hers at a slower pace, her mind still trying to come to terms with the events of the day. She watched Merle take off his prosthetic and place it on the rickety dresser in front of the bed. He moved around the room doing various things and she stopped paying attention to him as she finished eating and took a sip of water from one of the bottles in the pack.

She jumped when she felt Merle's hand touch the back of her neck and when he began massaging the skin there with his skilled fingers she sighed and tilted her head forward to give him better access. His hand found her shoulder and he kneaded it with his fingers before moving to the other one. She moaned softly at the wonderful pressure of it.

"Ya keep makin' them noises an' this massage ain't gonna last much longer girl," He growled softly near her ear.

Beth shivered and turned so that she was facing him. Silently she stood and her hands drifted to her jeans where she unbuttoned and unzipped them before pushing them down her legs to the floor. Merle's eyes darkened as he watched her. She grasped the hem of her shirt next and slowly lifted it over her head before dropping it on the floor with her jeans. She felt his eyes scanning the length of her body and she bit her lips before reaching behind her to undo the clasp on her bra and free her breasts to his gaze.

"What'cha doin' there?" Merle grunted.

Beth's eyes flitted up to his, "You're a smart man. I'm sure you can figure it out," She said softly as she stood before him in just her panties.

Without a word or a single touch he began to take off his clothes until he was completely naked. His eyes lingered on her panties, "Ya forgot somethin'," He said.

Beth hooked her fingers into the band of her panties and slid them down her legs until they were both completely naked. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers grazing the little bit of hair that curled at his nape. There was a fine hum of electricity between them and Beth knew that as soon as their lips touched it would all be over.

"Make me forget Merle," She whispered.

Merle grunted, his chest heaving out a little before he slowly lowered his lips to hers. He paused right before he made contact, "Ya sure 'bout this?" His breath grazed her lips with warmth.

She nodded and his lips surged forward to touch hers, like a match to paper that was all it took to ignite the fire between them. Merle curled his arm around her, his muscles hard against her back as his hand tangled into her hair. He popped the rubber band she used to pull it back from her face and her hair fell in a soft curtain against her back and shoulders. She wanted to protest, but his lips never let up from hers. She melted against him, reveling in his hardness and warmth. He walked her backwards until the backs of her knees hit the bed forcing her to sit down. She lay back and looked up at him with all of the love that she felt and his eyes locked with hers momentarily before he kneeled before her. He spread her legs and leaned down to inhale her scent.

"Spread yerself open for me darlin'," He said softly.

She complied and using her fingers she offered herself to him. He made a noise low in his throat before he bent his head and licked her slit, long and slow. She arched upwards a little and almost lost her grip as the sensation worked through her. He kept going with it, licking at her juices and flicking her clit with his tongue. She felt that familiar heat start at her toes and work itself up to her face in a hot flush. He closed his mouth over her and when she looked at him he winked at her before inserting a finger inside of her. She let herself be worked over by him, drowning herself into the moment completely. Just as she felt the tremors of her orgasm begin he let up and she watched in impatient frustration as he slid on a condom. Coming back to the bed he kneeled once more and slid her body off of the bed and straight onto his waiting cock. She moaned at the fullness as she slid all of the way down his length. The position they were in was the most intimate they had ever shared and they were face to face as he filled her. She tried to close her eyes, but he spoke up.

"No. Keep yer eyes open. I wanna see ya," He demanded.

She swallowed and her eyes fluttered open once more, locking onto his. He pinned her with his gaze, his hips thrusting upwards into her. She began to throb and she struggled to keep her eyes open as she crested over the brink. Merle wrapped his arm around her, holding her flush against him as she jerked and pulsed around him, her eyes still locked with his.

"Yer mine," He growled softly.

"Yours," She panted in reply.

She held onto his shoulders as she began to come down from her high, but surprisingly he didn't join her. Instead he kept slowly thrusting inside of her and she felt herself beginning to grow wet once again. Dipping his head forward he closed his mouth over her nipple and ran his tongue back and forth over its peak. Holding her tight to him, he climbed to his feet and still connected, he moved them onto the bed. Leaning her legs to the side, he slid in and out of her so slowly that it was almost torturous. She whimpered beneath him at the new friction this caused, but he was relentless in his punishing rhythm. Her eyes drank him in greedily. His muscles were flexed, his face intense and focused, but it was his eyes that made her quiver. The pure lust and intensity with which he watched her made her shiver inside. Suddenly he paused and then began a much faster rhythm. She panted beneath him and watched as his jaw clenched, his eyes closing halfway as he poured all of his tension out of his body. She spiraled beneath him, caught in another orgasm that took her by surprise and she pulsed repeatedly around him until she had nothing left to give. He thrust into her once more before pulling out and falling to the bed beside her. She rolled over and pressed herself against him, trying to calm her erractically beating heart.

She could feel Merle breathing deeply next to her and she ran her fingers over the light splattering of chest hair that covered him. "You okay?" She asked softly.

He snorted, "Fuck if I know. Ya damn near gonna kill me one o' these days," He huffed.

She giggled and boosted herself up a little so that she could kiss him. They kissed lazily for several minutes and when they finally parted she was shocked to feel his erection pressing against her. Wanting to please him, she crawled down his body and kneeled, taking the position he had assumed with her earlier. She removed the used condom and used her tongue to catch some of the cum that still coated him. He shifted beneath her and she opened her mouth, taking him as deep as she could in her throat. Trying to take cues from his reactions, she moved her mouth up and down on him, sucking slightly as she went. He groaned and spit muffled curses as she swirled her tongue experimentally over the tip of him. He lifted his hips, pushing himself into her mouth a little and she took him in as far as she could.

"Fuck me, I'm gonna cum," He spit out a few minutes later.

Beth hummed in acknowledgement and he tensed before spilling himself inside of her mouth. She gagged a little as she tried to swallow it all, but some of it managed to spill out of her mouth and down his cock. She swallowed what she had and then went back to lick up the rest before crawling back up to lie next to him again. Her eyes grew heavy as she laid within his warmth and she yawned as she struggled to keep them open.

"Merle?" She murmured sleepily.

"Yeah?" His voice was gruff and laced with sleep himself.

She snuggled into him, "You're mine too, you know."

* * *

_**So is it crap? I'm ducking my head while waiting for the reviews...For those of you waiting on more Deth, the next chapter has been started and it's a work in progress. I've just got to get my dang head on straight. :-)**_


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